Audioguide – English

The journey begins with artwork by Emanuela Dall’Aglio, a symbolic representation of homo radix, loving and respectful of the forest and the environment, who knows how to listen to and with whom he lives in harmony.

The museum exhibit itinerary is divided into eight sections that narrate the history, art, gastronomy, the forest, the habitats and areas of diffusion, the harvesting, processing, and the lands of the porcini mushroom.

The Porcini Mushroom Museum of Borgotaro features two exhibition locations, one in Borgo Val di Taro and one in Albareto, and it belongs to the circuit of the Food Museums of the province of Parma, dedicated to the promotion of the excellent gastronomic products of the “Italian Food Valley”.

A short video on the right presents all the venues of the circuit.

The Porcini mushroom boasts a centuries-old history in these lands. Mentioned for the first time in 1606 in a letter from Flaminio Platoni to Duke Ranuccio I Farnese, Porcini also appears in some recipes of the treatise Li quattro banchetti (Four Banquets) by Carlo Nascia, the Duke’s cook. It was also mentioned in sources throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It was in this century that the country’s mushroom market was regulated. In 1996 it was recognized as a Protected Geographical Indication, thus becoming the only PGI mushroom in Europe.

In the chronology on the left we can see some fundamental stages in the history of this product.

MUSHROOMS IN HISTORY

Since prehistoric times, mushrooms have been part of human nutrition and pharmacopoeia, especially in Mediterranean and Eastern civilizations. Considered mysterious and dangerous for centuries, their scientific study began only in the eighteenth century, leading to recognition of mushrooms as having a specific status – neither vegetal nor animal – and of their fundamental role in the balance of the forest.

One of the uses of the mushroom in ancient times was as fire tinder. Significant evidence is found in the kit of Ötzi, the Neolithic man (who lived between 3,350 and 3,100 BC), whose mummy was found at the foot of the Similaun glacier in the Ötztal Alps in 1991. In his equipment, in addition in addition to hunting weapons and some tools, there was also a stone scraper and two different fragments of mushrooms, used as tinder to light the fire. In the porthole you can observe a specimen of mushroom identical to that of Ötzi, the same kind that was also found in 1877 in the excavations of the Terramara of Castione Baratti, in the province of Parma, now preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Parma.

On the left you can see the photos with the main steps for lighting a fire using mushrooms.

In the Middle Ages, however, mushrooms more than for their value in gastronomy, became important in cosmetics, alchemy, and above all in the preparation of curative or deadly compounds. They were viewed with distrust by the powerful, since the poisonous ones were easily administered by “treason” in sneaky ways. There were numerous victims of poisoning. We remember Pope Clement VII (lived between 1478 and 1534) and Emperor Charles VI of Habsburg (lived from 1685 to 1740).

You have to go back to the 17th century to see the first popular treatise on mycology written by Charles de L’Escluse “Carolus Clusius” (1526 – 1609). From France as well came the true consecration of the mushroom in the gastronomic field in 1651 in François Pierre La Varenne’s Cuisinier François (French cook book).

SANTA CLAUS AND THE MUSHROOMS

Did you know that the story of Santa Claus could have a mushroom as its protagonist? The Amanita muscaria, the mushroom with a red cap with white dots, seems to be responsible for the myth of the flying reindeer, the tradition of adorning the Christmas fir tree with red balls, and the ruddy cheeks that have always accompanied the image of Santa Claus. The mushroom, long considered sacred by the indigenous tribes of Northern Europe, is a powerful hallucinogen used in rituals since ancient times by shamans. With the advent of Christianity their figure would then overlap with that of Saint Nicholas-Santa Claus.

Guido Soncini was a passionate mycologist. He loved going mushroom hunting, he loved studying mushrooms and, in perfect harmony with his activity, he loved collecting documents and images related to mushrooms. From the moment he took the reins of the antique print shop “Oliva” in Parma, his passion for collecting kept constantly fueled. When he was informed of the project for the Porcini Mushroom Museum of Borgotaro, he immediately embraced the idea of ​​donating his considerable collection to the museum, and after his passing, his will was respected and supported by his family. The collection is composed by over a thousand items, mostly prints, which explore the fungal universe in all its aspects.

A great mushroom enthusiast, Guido Soncini was the owner of the OLIVA shop which is located in the center of Parma on the road towards the Cathedral and the Baptistery. At the beginning the business involved the sale of religious items, then moving on to antique prints and books. Guido, who at first glance gave the impression of being a gruff and “scowling” person, dedicated his whole life to his work, managing to reconcile it with mycology. He liked learning about and studying mushrooms (as well as eating them) and over the years he collected many prints and postal stamps with this theme, now exhibited here.

In art, the representation of the mushroom often has symbolic value and the meanings attributed to it are numerous: from the union between man and woman, to evil and demonic power. But also, the magical ability capable of creating connections between the divine and the human. From the eighteenth century on, with the evolution of scientific studies, the mushroom lost all symbolic value to acquire above all a decorative character in artistic representations, as in the Liberty (Art Nouveau) period, which drew on the shapes of mushrooms for lamps, tiles and wrought iron items. Its decorative role continues today in photography and cinema.

In the panel, some important artworks are shown arranged chronologically.  All have in common the presence of mushrooms. Can you spot them in each work?

By opening the drawers, it is possible to view a selection of the most representative works from the Soncini collection.

Myco-philately, or that section of philately dedicated to mushrooms, is very widespread and has numerous estimators. The first appearances of stamps with mycological subjects date back to the end of the 1950s in series issued by Romania and Czechoslovakia. Over 176 nations have issued stamps dedicated to mushrooms and 946 different mycological species have been depicted. All the specimens displayed in the panels come from the Soncini Collection.

After the chests of drawers, a display case displays a series of valuable objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, mostly in ceramic, in the shape of a mushroom or depicting mushrooms. This subject has been particularly used in the decorative arts.

Continuing on, you can reach the section dedicated to gastronomy.

Italian cuisine is one of the few that foresees the consumption of the mushroom “by themselves” as a dish. Most mushrooms are eaten after cooking; only very few can be enjoyed raw: among these Ovoli and Porcini. Porcini mushrooms also lend themselves to being dried and a small amount of dry ingredient can transform any dish. The energetic value of mushrooms has few calories while they are excellent supplements of vitamins and mineral salts. They contain few carbohydrates, fats, salt and have no cholesterol. The greatest value of mushrooms is therefore their gastronomic qualities: their unmistakable scent is able to enhance any type of culinary preparation.

The mushroom lends itself well to numerous culinary preparations. The most common method and basic recipe for any type of mushroom is sautéing, but they are often served in salads, fried, grilled, in sauces, with meat and fish dishes, along with other condiments.

The mushrooms that are generally found on the market and which have consolidated use in the kitchen are mainly the Champignon, the Pioppino, the Porcino and the Prataiolo.

The panel shows its characteristics and properties.

In addition to these, there are other mushrooms in our kitchens. Some are extremely harmful, such as Penicillium italicum, the agent of orange and mandarin rot, or Penicillium digitatum, the gray mold of lemons; others, however, are useful for the transformation of raw materials to give shape to succulent foods, such as the molds that affect cheeses. Still others, invisible to the naked eye, are indispensable mushrooms for gastronomy itself, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the one contained within brewer’s yeast essential for the leavening of dough or Aspergillus oryzae used for the alcoholic fermentation of soy sauce.

The panels show various gastronomic preparations typical of Val Taro with Porcini as the protagonists: from the left, appetizers, main entrees and second courses. The Porcini mushroom is suitable for the creation of numerous recipes, always characterized by a unique flavor and aroma. It can also be served raw, cut into strips and seasoned with a little oil and salt.

The video presents the preparation of two typical recipes based on Porcini mushrooms with Chef Alessandro Delnevo from Borgotaro: tagliatelle with Porcini mushrooms and fried Porcini mushrooms.

Let’s retrace our steps and continue the visit by turning right.

The world of mushrooms is immense and is characterized by important numbers and specific words. Mushrooms manage to reach truly unexpected numbers, starting from 3 (the allowed daily quota in kg that a person can collect), up to 1500 billion spores that a specimen of Lycoperdon bovista can produce.

There are also many words that refer to mushrooms, from A to X. You can scroll through them and discover their meanings, so you can learn new words and specific terms.

With an estimated biodiversity of around 5 million species, fungi are among the most diverse organisms on Earth. If visually they offer a feast of colors, shapes and sizes, the most astonishing thing is the extraordinary variety of adaptations that have led them to colonize environments beyond all imagination: terrestrial and aquatic, aerobic and anaerobic and even marine.

Usually, the structure of edible mushrooms takes the characteristic shape with a cap and stem. The cap can have numerous shapes and has the function of protecting the hymenium at the top, the fertile part where the spores mature. The stem can be surrounded by a ring at the top or it can be wrapped at the bottom by a kind of sac, the volva. The most important parts of the mushroom are therefore cap, hymenium and stem. The central image of the panel, showing a mushroom, features all the different types of attributes of an edible mushroom.

Privileged habitat of the mushroom, the forest is one of the most loved and used subjects in art. The image of the forest, as we understand it today, is an “invention” of the Renaissance and has undergone numerous changes over time: from a dark and mysterious place it has become a peaceful and reassuring space over the centuries. There are numerous Renaissance painters, inspired by Leonardo, who looked at nature directly and not just through symbols. In the following centuries, thanks to the lessons of Botticelli and Giorgione, a true school of landscape art was born, which, in the Romantic era, saw the woods as the privileged subject of its vision of the world. With the advent of the Anthropocene, the forest practically “disappears” in modern art depictions.

The panel offers us numerous paintings depicting the forest belonging to different centuries, from the fifteenth to the twentieth century.

We now enter the enchanted mushroom forest, where each clearing offers us a different theme.

Mushrooms are a life form that is neither a plant nor an animal species but has characteristics of both living forms. These are single or multicellular organisms of different sizes: large like edible macromycetes, small like molds, and microscopic like yeasts. The mushroom kingdom includes over 120,000 known species, but it is estimated that at least five million exist on earth. What we eat is only the part that comes out of the ground, i.e. the fruiting body of the mushroom, while the actual vegetative body resides underground and can extend for hundreds of meters.

In the display case on the side, it is possible to notice the stratigraphy of the soil of a forest and how the mushroom propagates, binding its roots (the hyphae) to those of the trees, in a very extensive network.

Like animals, fungi are heterotrophic organisms, meaning they need to introduce substances essential for survival into their organism from the external environment. Their reproduction occurs through the diffusion of spores, and they do not have differentiated tissues or elements capable of producing lymph.

We turn towards the other side of the clearing.

The fungi differs from other plant organisms for the lack of chlorophyll, a pigment that allows photosynthesis, that is, the transformation of inorganic substances such as water and carbon dioxide into complex organic substances, useful for its sustenance. The mushroom, therefore, uses three different strategies to feed itself and live: parasitism, saprophytic relationship, and symbiosis.

Parasitic fungi feed on living organisms, especially weakened trees, leading to their death.

Saprophytic fungi, on the other hand, live by digesting the tissues of dead organisms. According to scientists, this is the primary condition common to all fungi, which are the only organisms capable of transforming tree cellulose.

Symbiotic fungi bond with other organisms, collaborating for mutual sustenance: if on the one hand the fungus receives carbohydrates from the tree, on the other it will itself give it water and mineral salts thanks to its extremely branched hyphae in the soil.

On the left the large original graphic table from 1897 represents the life cycle of the mushroom.

There are 4 boletes that fall within the PGI specification of the Borgotaro Porcini Mushroom: Boletus edulis, Boletus reticulatus, Boletus pinophilus (or pinicola) and Boletus aereus.

Starting from the left you can see the 4 “identity cards” of the mushrooms with their common names, and the places and seasons in which they can be found.

If we talk about the organism that grows underground, it is assumed that it can reach hundreds if not thousands of years. But if we talk about the fruiting body – what we collect and eat – its “existence” can vary, depending on the species and atmospheric conditions, approximately from 1 to 15 days. The film, in the porthole, shows us in 80 seconds the entire life cycle of a porcini mushroom, allowing us to capture unexpected moments in the life of a mushroom.

We continue our journey towards the next clearing.

What are the natural environments whose characteristics can allow the Porcini to live, develop and reproduce? Depending on the soil and the environment in which they proliferate we will have different types of Porcini. The varieties included in the specifications of the Borgotaro PGI Mushroom mostly live near oak, chestnut, beech and fir trees.

The panels show us the image of each forest, the plant, the leaves, the bark and the wood, while the cylinder makes the subsoil of each different habitat visible.

THE OAK GROVE

The three main species that characterize the oak forests are the Downy Oak, the Oak and the Cerro. Turkey oak, in particular, is suitable for the growth of the Porcini mushroom and is found in the hilly and sub-mountain areas of Emilia-Romagna. It forms woods on deep, fresh soils rich in clay.

THE CHESTNUT GROVE

Chestnut groves are forests of anthropogenic origin, introduced to produce wood and fruit. The chestnut tree lives on loose, fresh and deep soils, not tolerating clayey or calcareous ones. It often combines spontaneously with other plants such as blueberries and hazelnuts.

THE BEECH WOOD

Much exploited by man for the production of timber, beech forests extend from 800 m above sea level and are often associated with other tree and undergrowth species. The beech prefers fertile, fresh, medium-textured and well-drained soils, but also adapts to other soils if there is abundant humidity.

THE FIR FOREST

The fir forest has numerous characteristics in common with the beech forest, although less widespread. It is usually found in cool, dry microclimates, often thanks to human intervention. The sporadic formations of silver fir in the upper Taro Valley today represent true ecological oases and are privileged habitats for many species of mushrooms.

The film shown in the round window allows you to “enter” the four different types of forest and appreciate some details such as the shape of the leaves, the color of the trunk and the landscapes they recreate.

The production area of the “Borgotaro Porcini Mushroom” includes the suitable territory in the Municipalities of Berceto, Borgo Val di Taro, Albareto, Compiano, Tornolo and Bedonia in the province of Parma and in the Municipalities of Pontremoli and Zeri in the province of Massa Carrara.
The large map allows us to visualize the collection area and understand the location of the municipalities mentioned.
It is important to define the production area for the purposes of PGI certification: mushrooms that are produced outside the indicated areas cannot be considered “Borgotaro PGI Mushrooms”. In 1995, the Protection Consortium was established which guarantees, enhances and promotes the product through production regulations.

We continue our journey towards the next clearing.

One of the first rules of the mushroom hunter is to be an early riser. The most suitable days for research are sunny days following heavy rain. A good idea is to memorize the locations and places where you usually find certain species: mushrooms tend to appear in the same places. It is important to have a container to place the mushrooms that is rigid, ventilated, dry and with openings that allow the dispersion of the spores. A basket with a handle is ideal. The search must be carried out uphill and never with bare hands: the hunter always uses sticks to move vegetation and find mushrooms. To carry out a risk-free collection, it is necessary to practice recognizing edible mushrooms from poisonous ones, and the opinion of an expert mycologist is always desirable.

On the right, the figure of the mushroom hunter shows the original basket and stick used in the upper Val Taro for the search.

We move to the left, still on the panel.

There are many legends and prejudices about mushrooms. Mysteries, beliefs and customs have always characterized the history of this product. There is a widespread idea that the mushroom should be picked immediately, and you shouldn’t leave it on the ground to let it grow (because it wouldn’t grow anyway) or even point it out because it could even disappear.
As regards poisonousness and contrasting toxicity, despite the numerous, and often imaginative practices of the past described by the panel, the only valid way is to collect only mushrooms of known varieties and have them checked them by competent personnel before using them.

HOW BIG IS A MUSHROOM

The sizes of mushrooms are extremely variable. There are mushrooms invisible to the naked eye and others that are particularly large such as Armillaria ostoyae. If in addition to considering the dimensions of the carpophore, i.e. the reproductive apparatus that emerges from the ground, we measured the dimensions of the hyphae that make up the actual body of the mushroom, we would be amazed.

THE WITCHES CIRCLES

“Witch circles” are natural occurring circles of grass the circumference of which is dotted with mushrooms of the same variety. Often associated with evil spirits and witches, they are actually the result of the germination of fungal hyphae which from the underground mycelium expand radially in all directions, fruiting only at the ends. In practice, the diameter of the “circle” gives us the size of the underground body of the mushroom.

We turn towards the other side of the clearing.

The immersive film tells us about the mushroom farmer’s day, from dawn to dusk, in search of the king of the forest and, finally home, intent on preparing and enjoying the fruit of the harvest.

We continue our journey towards the next clearing.

The processing of the Borgotaro Porcini Mushroom essentially involves two phases: harvesting and conservation. The Italian State regulates the collection and trade of mushrooms and entrusts the Regions with the task of regulating this sector with their own laws. In general, these regulations define the collection days and the maximum quantity of daily collection per person, taking into account local traditions, customs and needs.

COLLECTION

When collecting mushrooms, it is extremely important not to damage the mycelium. It is therefore necessary to harvest with two hands: with one hand you twist and delicately rotate the base of the stem while simultaneously pulling upwards, with the other you hold the underlying soil still so as not to harvest a clod of earth together with the mushroom, thus damaging the mycelium. Once collected, the mushroom must be summarily cleaned on the spot and placed in a basket. To collect mushrooms, it is always necessary to have a special license card.

CLEANING

The ideal rule is that the mushroom is not washed but simply freed from the soil and rubbed with a cloth moistened with water and vinegar or lemon. However, we are not always faced with uncontaminated soil, so the use of water becomes necessary, with precautions to preserve the aroma and taste of the mushroom.

PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES

The basic principles of mushroom conservation, which can be used both at an artisanal and industrial level, are drying, conditioning (i.e. brines, in oil, in vinegar) and freezing.

The panel offers us the large image of the mushroom market in Borgotaro in 1920.

The video in the porthole shows us the collection and processing of the Porcino mushroom from Borgotaro, from a 1934 documentary by the “Istituto Luce” with the processing of the dried mushroom in the laboratory of Dr. Colombo Calzolari, to the contemporary preparation of the dried or preserved mushroom oil at Adriano Agazzi’s “Bottega del Fungo” in Borgotaro.

On the right you can read how Artusi, in his manual Science in the kitchen, or the art of eating well, recommended the preparation of dried mushrooms.

SCIENCE

Boletus edulis (i.e. what we commonly call Porcino) is the subject of scientific research regarding aspects of its food and health use. Its nutritional content in proteins, carbohydrates and fibers make this mushroom ideal for improving the nutritional profile of the diet, replacing meat, fats and salt, establishing itself as a food of the future. Mushrooms are also considered a functional food, since within them there are over one hundred molecules with an anti-tumor, antioxidant, cardiovascular, antibacterial, anti-parasitic function and support of immune responses.

We continue around the clearing, around the large cylinder of dried mushrooms.

The panels mention the companies active from 1860 to 1940 present in the registers of the Parma Chamber of Commerce which dealt with the marketing of the Porcini mushroom. It is worth underlining that the mushroom trading activity is much older but that “escapes” administrative data, often falling under the headings of Commerce (perhaps without an indicated location) or under generic business. Among the names of the families dedicated to marketing are those of the Spagnoli, the Calzolari and the Bruschi.

We retrace our steps, crossing the various clearings backwards and regaining the first room of the museum. Here, the large central panel facing the window, offers us a historical and artistic insight into the Taro Valley.

The Alta Val di Taro is the area in which it is possible to find the coveted Porcini mushroom, as well as the area indicated in the specifications for the recognition of the PGI. It includes Bedonia, Compiano, Tornolo, Berceto, Borgo Val di Taro and Albareto. The panel shows us a large map of the territory with the Municipalities and the main historical and architectural aspects of interest for those who want to explore it.

We turn towards the window on which sides there are two panels.

Borgo Val di Taro lies in a large basin on the left bank of the Taro River, the focal point of the two routes leading to Chiavari and Sestri Levante. In the past the area saw the passage of pilgrims, merchants and travelers who used the route to go to Lunigiana and then descend towards Pontremoli. In the Middle Ages, it had the name of Turris, then Turrexana, and then took its current name in the 13th century. Located in a strategic position for the control of transit routes, its possession was followed by the Empire, the Monastery of Bobbio, the Municipality of Piacenza, the Landi, the Papacy, the Malaspina, the Visconti, the Fieschi, the Sforza, the Doria and, from the sixteenth century, the Farnese. In 1894 it was connected to the plain and the sea by the Parma-La Spezia railway line, which contributed significantly to the industrial and commercial development of the capital. During the last world war Borgotaro suffered over forty air raids and numerous episodes linked to the Resistance flourished in its territory, so much so that the banner of the Municipality was decorated with the Gold Medal for Military Valor in 1985.

The buildings of historical and artistic interest in Borgo Val di Taro are all concentrated within the old circuit of the medieval walls. Via Nazionale is worth walking along, with its noble palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries such as Palazzo Boveri, the Gothic church of San Domenico, Palazzo Bertucci, the Bertucci arch in Piazza Farnese and the monument to Elisabetta Farnese from 1721. This latest, is the only one in Europe, wanted by the inhabitants to remember the passage and stay in the village of the future Queen of Spain on her journey to the Iberian country. Also worth admiring are the former hospital of Santa Maria e Lazzaro, now called Palazzo Tardiani, the Palazzo Pretorio seat of the Municipality, and the church of Sant’Antonino. Then passing through Porta Portello, the ancient entrance to the town and place of the mushroom market, crossing the bridge that connects the historic center with the railway station, you find the sixteenth-century church of San Rocco with a baroque façade.

Since the end of the 19th century, Val Taro has been affected by an intense migratory phenomenon that brought thousands of Valtaresi around the world. While always remaining in close relations with their homeland, they have particularly distinguished themselves abroad in catering and tourism activities and in the trade of food products, often involving local production companies.

Thank you for visiting the Porcini Mushroom Museum of Borgotaro.

This audio guide was created thanks to CONAD BORGO VAL DI TARO. Continue your visit in the local area.

At the Museum book shop you will find information material on the most interesting destinations of the upper valley.