A restaurant project that developed in the heart of the Tenuta della Mistica, next to the Acquedotto Alessandrino, in the middle of the countryside, just a stone’s throw from the capital – Borgo della Mistica, is the new entrepreneurial challenge of the Federici family, who wanted to transform this area by focusing on quality catering, wellness and the enhancement of leisure time.
The Borgo rises around the estate’s productive and educational gardens, concerned with direct sales and processing. The project aims to “support a local economy that includes the agricultural and agri-food products of this area near Rome, from production to consumption, and that of safeguarding sustainability as well as the care of good eating habits,” stresses Fortunato Federici, head of the coordination of the initiative.
The Renovation of Borgo della Mistica
The Mistica Estate, the subject of major archaeological excavations during the 1800s, was purchased by the Federici family in the 1930s and remained for a long time an agricultural estate with animal breeding, and the arrival point of transhumance.
Starting in 2006 it became the protagonist of an urban transformation work which, moreover, allowed the settlement of several social realities such as the Cooperativa Sociale Agricoltura Capodarco and the Associazione Volontari Capitano Ultimo Onlus. In parallel, an area dedicated to hospitality was developed with the construction of the Hampton by Hilton Rome East in 2017 under management by Fresia Hotels & Resorts Srl, a reference company of the Federici Group. The complex will now have a new layout thanks to the Borgo della Mistica and its restaurant, the real beating heart of the project, along with the bio swimming pool also open to the outside public.
“For several years now, we have decided to focus on the redevelopment of the farmhouses on the estate with the aim of creating an inclusive destination around food and experientiality, serving this quadrant of the city, which is in great need of green areas and services for young people and families. The architectural design was curated by Supervoid Architects enhancing the productive architecture of the structures in a contemporary key, thanks also to the application of the color red, typical of the cellar houses, on different materials used: exposed stone, plaster, curtain, pigmented concrete, metal, and pvc,” adds Fortunato Federici.
The Borgo della Mistica includes a restaurant with a swimming pool and a conference center that will house two meeting rooms and a 200-seat plenary hall. The “Countryside in the City” concept, declined by BLA Studio, an all-female branding and communications agency that built the project’s storytelling, is also represented by the winemaking facility and winery housed in one of the renovated farmhouses.
“We thought of an environment with a pastoral yet contemporary dimension, within walking distance of the city. The restaurant will allow us to shape our idea of gastronomic honesty that focuses on taste and identity,” Federici stresses.
Leading the operations in the kitchen is Chef Ornella De Felice: “I was won over by having to build so many things from scratch here in the Tenuta della Mistica, being able to put a lot of my own into it. Enhancing the landscape element in the gastronomic proposal, which does not mean simple cuisine, but means complete hospitality, from every point of view, to live an experience within easy reach of the city: this is my goal,” says the chef originally from Nettuno, who puts this combination of things on the plate.
An approach that translates into concrete, organic and sustainable cuisine by collaborating with local businesses to network and enhance the context in which they are located. “The cheeses and ricotta are from the cheesemaker who lives on the estate, the eggs from Arianna Vulpiani, and the vegetables from Capodarco,” stresses Ornella De Felice.
On the menu, there will be room for authentic and genuine flavors with references to the Roman culinary tradition: from the Egg at 65° with Vignarola to the Boiled Meatball at Picchiapò, passing through the section dedicated to the lightly fried offerings of Fritti (Squash Flowers, Fried Cod, Mozzarella in carrozza with ‘nduja) and Pizza curated by Pizzeria Frumento.
“We will focus on quality meat, first courses that enhance both tradition and vegetables, and homemade desserts. A set of dishes that can best represent my idea of cuisine and the philosophy of Borgo della Mistica,” adds De Felice.
Alongside the gastronomic proposal, there will of course also be the Wine List curated by Heros Tedesco, F&B Manager of the Borgo, which will focus on the territory but also on natural producers from all over Italy thanks to the collaboration with Les Caves de Pyrenne, without forgetting the craft beers.
Photo Credits: Emanuela Rizzo