The heart of the Locanda del Falco - or, as it is affectionately called in the area, "Il Falco" (The Hawk) - has been pulsating for centuries within the walls of the tiny medieval village of Rivalta. Offering food and shelter, for decades Il Falco has welcomed the workers of the countryside surrounding the village, the wayfarers, the pilgrims of the Cammino di San Colombano.
Today, it has become a gourmet destination that is much appreciated by those who live in the nearby cities of the Emilia and Lombardy regions, and by an ever-growing international audience. Three generations of the same family have been at the helm of Il Falco from 1977 to the present.
Over the years, the management of the kitchen has been passed on from parents to sons and daughters, maintaining constant respect for the local tradition and the high quality of the ingredients. Excellent cured meats, prime beef, fresh vegetables, well-matured Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, daily production of fresh pasta and a wide choice of local and national wines have made Il Falco an iconic reference point for good Piacenza cuisine.
In more recent years, with the contribution of the young chef Pietro Carlo Pezzati - the bearer of experience gained between France and Australia alongside Bertrand Grébaut at Septime in Paris and Lennox Hastie at Firedoor in Sydney - the Locanda del Falco has been promoting original research on the valorisation of local vegetable and dairy products, in harmony with young local producers.
