" ... It was not the beauty of the landscape, nor the history, nor the art, nor the verses of the poets that make Valpolicella so special, but rather its local product: wine….” wrote Giuseppe Silvestri, journalist and historian, in his monumental monograph that describes this land. The ancient villas, the history of the poets, the vineyards, the cliffs, the flowing water, the silence of the churches, have inspired writers and poets including Ernest Hemingway, Mario Soldati, Svetonius, Marziale, Cassiodorus, Scipione Maffei and many others to come to Valpolicella. The idea is to follow many paths, not only those related to the famous Amarone or Recioto wine, but also to routes linked to the agriculture, the organic products of Valpolicella, the food culture, the family traditions and folklore, the architecture, the history and all of its natural beauty. Besides all this, there is the brilliant red marble, inextricably linked to the history and culture of these valleys. Valpolicella is the agricultural and cultural soul of the nearby city Verona, but also to an even closer Lake Garda. You can feel the influences of the Lessinia mountains, the Monte Baldo, and their neighbouring areas of Trentino and the Venetian hinterland. The “Chiusa” which separates the Alps from the plains, and the bridge of “Veja”, both remind us of the strength and the mysteries of nature. Valpolicella is close to Mantua, Modena, Parma and many other small and large towns, and to the north of the Adige valley the splendour of the Dolomite mountains are easily accessible. Photos by Photo Ennevi.