The place
A stone house, a family, seventy years.
Valdicastello Carducci is a small village of a few houses among the olive trees, above Pietrasanta. Giosuè Carducci was born here, the Via Francigena passes through, and here — beside the parish church of Saints Giovanni and Felicita — Beppino opened his osteria in 1952.
The courtyard under the pergola, open from May to September.
The dates that matter.
1950s
Beppino's osteria
Giuseppe Novani turns two small rooms of an old farmhouse into a simple "osteria with drinks": out under the pergola in summer, around the fire in winter.
1960s
The tordello is born
Nella Novani and Amelia Lazzerini roll out the pasta by hand: the tordello becomes the dish that truly starts the osteria's adventure.
1967
The second generation
Dina Novani and Luciano Lazzerini take over the trattoria, betting on simple, genuine dishes from Pietrasanta's tradition: the vegetable garden, the henhouse, oil from the hills, cured meats from the local butcher.
1990s
The spit in the fireplace
Luciano, a bricklayer before becoming an innkeeper, builds with his own hands the great fireplace with the spit where kid goat, rabbit and pigeon are still roasted today.
Today
The third generation
Daniele, a sommelier, and his sister Simona renew the dining rooms, rebuild the vine-and-ivy pergola and restore the old underground cellar: that is where the wine shop is born.
A crossroads of artists and flavors.
The first regulars were farmers and hunters, but also sculptors and artists: among them the master Leone Tommasi, who would arrive with his entourage of free spirits and bags of game to fire up the first spit roasts. Ever since, Valdicastello has remained a quiet stop for those seeking an antidote to hurry, just steps from Pietrasanta.
Farro and vegetable soups, tagliarini with beans, matuffi, potatoes finished cooking under the spit roast: they're the same dishes as back then, made with our vegetable garden, henhouse and oil from the surrounding hills.
What they've written about usTwo dining rooms, a fireplace, and the big table at the back.
The downstairs room seats around forty, while the upstairs one is perfect for big tables and cellar dinners. In summer the shaded courtyard at the back opens up. For birthdays, christenings and company dinners, give us a call: we're happy to arrange it.
How to reach us