Two realities among the Friulian mountains and a hospitality couple who never stop working, delighting gourmands: after Borgo Eibn, Rocco Liggieri and Viola Nassivera give birth to Malga Festons, with only five rooms and a herd of 350 Limousine cows.
The Story
A love story between two youths and toward a land that expresses all the power of (semi-hidden) Italian beauty. A double love story, then, between Rocco Liggieri and Viola Nassivera, who together decided to make a vow toward their land, Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
If you thought you had already found your little secret place away from it all where you can devote yourself to spirit, beauty and good food, you may have yet to visit Roco and Viola's new home. Already known for their wonderful mountain lodge Borgo Eibn, which will reopen with the beautiful 2025 season, they have created in Malga Festons a unique place to temporarily get away from the world.
Five rooms, Rocco's (talented self-taught) dishes, Viola's hospitality, widespread wood and quiet nature (plus 350 Limousine cows and the dozen wonderful Haflinger horses in summer). These are the precious places of Italy. A decidedly remote place in Sauris di Sopra (province of Udine), in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and if it weren't it wouldn't be so special.
Rocco Liggieri, a handsome 35-year-old man, a former water polo player in love with life, enthusiastic about what he does among his mountains and perpetually “got it good.” With him is Viola Nassivera, partner and mother of two little girls, the other half of this precious project, with a family behind her that has specialized in meat production and processing for about seventy years, cheese aging for almost twice as long, and for “only” two lustra also engaged in the world of cured meats. The two met at a Manu Chao concert in 2014, she was fresh from a significant relationship that had recently ended, and had been brought there by a friend to have a good time, he was there with friends and was just back from many evenings of fun. They met and liked each other, and shortly thereafter they were living together.
Vera's family has been in this world for generations, her grandfather was among the founders of the Prosciuttificio Wolf in Sauris and an important part of the history of Carnia. In those years his uncle needed someone to help him promote the products at various markets and fairs, so Rocco began to travel around Italy and Europe selling cured meats and cheeses.
"I learned how to make cheese, cottage cheese, salami, sausage, and after Viola I fell in love with that whole world, its true and authentic stories, the people who had lived them. I would attend markets and sell people something I had taken part in. I would talk to cooks and restaurateurs, we would eat together, and at the end of the meal I would sell them everything I had brought. I discovered how great it is to create with your own hands and how much satisfaction it gives you. Mario, Viola's dad, is a hotelier and had always had the dream of building something in his land, in Carnia, where the story began, “ Rocco says passionately.
From Borgo Eibn to Malga Festons
Their first project as a couple was the now famous Borgo Eibn, a unique place visited also by many VIPs, but above all a farm, a house that has become a meeting place, intimate, of many. A special place with which to unplug and enjoy peace, nature, beauty and good food, among these myrifical mountains where you can find everything you need to feel good.
Along this passionate love affair with the land, however, there was that tragic fire on January 23, 2023 that destroyed an important part of the jewel Borgo Eibn. “When things like that happen to you, you have to react immediately, you have no alternative. All big changes can bring good things. You have to be good at seizing them and always think positive,", Rocco says.
And so it was, while awaiting the rebirth of Borgo Eibn, Rocco and Viola have been pursuing another project not far away and just as special, where they can be happy and welcome the many fans of this kind of experience, of smiling life. In fact, they have recently been welcoming joyful wayfarers to a remote place called Malga Festons, a natural paradise that touches 2,000 meters above sea level, whose official opening was staged last November 30.
350 Limousine cows grazing on alpine pasture, a dozen wonderful Haflinger horses roaming around this authentic farm house, a fireplace, a stube, wood spread everywhere, the scent of the forest, and good, sincere cooking always accompanied by wine and grappa. Rocco has specialized since the days of Borgo Eibn in the use of embers, and here he continues to do so with the "fogolar furlan", an outdoor brazier where cooking and feeling come together during the ancient ritual of cooking over fire.
It starts in the morning with breakfasts prepared by Rocco with eggs scrambled in brown butter, trout eggs, salted cheese and smoked ricotta, or tarts with homemade apricot and berry jam (with real cream). An absolute must-try that the boys have made a flag of is the potato frico with salted cream cheese and dandelion, a majestic traditional Carnic dish of the highest enjoyment.
The tagliolini with alpine butter, Parmigiano, mushrooms, parsley, potato gnocchi, garden minestrone with musetto and stravecchio cheese, mixed ragu of beef and pork, speck and lemon, or even goulash with polenta cooked on the typical wood-fired spolert, wine-glazed cheeks with crepes and root stock, smoked roast beef (a hybrid of bresaola and carne salada smoked in-house cut like a carpaccio) with toasted hazelnuts, wild spinach.
The boiled meat and mustards, root stock, baked sweet potatoes with salted cheese and rosemary, barbecued venison, and ribs with sage wine and rosemary. Can you imagine? In short, if there is one thing that will surely not be missed among these wonderful wastelands, it is great food, different every day based on what is sourced from Rocco and his suppliers.
A very fulfilling experience to live both in summer and winter, a family ready to welcome you, there will be no shortage of events such as the presence on different dates of the great chef Matteo Metullio, Rocco's dear childhood friend. The flavors and smiles of Malga Festons are up there waiting for you.
Contact and Info
Malga Festons
Website: https://www.borgoeibn.it/it
Address: ander eibn 80/b, 33020 Sauris di Sotto UD
Phone: 328 668 9992
