La Voce del Fiume is Rocchina Adobbato‘s dream come true. We are in Brienza, in Basilicata, in the breakfast room with a breathtaking view of the delightful Lucanian village of the bed and breakfast of Rocchina, who in her life is a lawyer and who after years away from her hometown, has decided to return here by opening her home to hospitality.
A Brienza sweet sleep on the river
The story, hers and her beloved “creature”, tells us during our stay in a pleasant chat sitting at the table over a good coffee.
She tells us that she has always been in love with this portion of the town where La Voce del Fiume is located, right at the foot of the imposing Caracciolo Castle and glue between the oldest and most abandoned part after the last earthquake and the modern one.
Tender memory that she shares with us when moved tells us that looking out the window of her house and looking in the direction of the castle, her father placed his hand on her head and smiling, he said to her “there my fortress (rocca in italian language), here my Rocchina”.
So Rocchina decided to give life to what in the meantime had become a shared dream and bought some houses, dilapidated and abandoned for years, creating La Voce del Fiume, a delightful structure that clings to the ridge that descends towards the Pergola stream. where from every room you can hear the sound of flowing water.
Hence the name: Rocchina and her daughter Elvira listened to the sweet and reassuring words that the river whispered to them and which now continues to whisper to the guests of the seven rooms of La Voce del Fiume.
About the rooms: one is different from the other and the names are those of the gems, because these suites are small precious stones.
La Diamante is on two levels, with a double bedroom, double facing the valley and the alley, single bed, bathroom and kitchenette, as well as access to a covered panoramic terrace overlooking the river.
Perla is a suite consisting of two rooms on one level with a full kitchen and fireplace. In Ametista the protagonists are the romantic canopy bed and the side niche with the remains of an ancient oven.
Smeraldo is a double bedroom with two bunk beds, ideal for the family, with a beamed ceiling and a Capodimonte chandelier. Turchese is a double bedroom with independent access that overlooks the valley directly, as does Corallo with a double bed, a small and charming kitchenette and a very suggestive rock wall.
In each room of this charming historic residence there is not only the touch, but also and above all the history of Rocchina.
In our call Rubino, the largest and most valuable as the hostess is keen to emphasize, there is a wall carved into the rock, an ancient oven and the cradle that welcomed her infant sleep. In addition, a glass porthole allows a glimpse of the suggestive natural cave below, while the view of the river is ensured by a lovely terrace equipped with tables and chairs.
In another, the black and white photos of her grandparents and as a lamp the coffee and milk cup she used as a child. And in the cave an original chandelier created by her with old cutlery. About the cave, it is named after Bianca da Brienza, a beautiful noblewoman who lived in the castle around the mid-1300s. Rocchina tells us the story of this lady who loved pomp and jewels and owned a treasure kept in a secret and inaccessible room of the castle, of which only she and her faithful handmaid knew the way to access it.
But while traveling to Amantea, Bianca was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Algiers, where a wealthy pasha fell in love with her and kidnapped her. From that moment all traces of it were lost. It is said that her treasure is still hidden in the castle and whoever is lucky enough to find it will be able to take it.
And it is whispered that the room is the Rubino where the trap door descends into the cave which overlooks a tunnel, discovered during the restoration work, which could have a direct connection with the manor.
In short, everything here has a voice, not just the river. The details speak for themselves, the lace, the objects of yesteryear and the rocks that already accompany guests, jutting out onto the narrow road leading to the entrance.
Returning to the breakfast, which is prepared and served personally by Rocchina, tells the territory. From sweet to savory each dish is a piece of history and tradition that has the taste of authenticity and the memory of childhood, from bread mixed with small pieces of cruschi peppers to homemade jams and local honey, from exquisite cakes to biscuits from milk, from seasonal fruit to homemade yogurt, from donuts to pies baked every day at dawn and prepared following grandma’s recipes. And then the salty: a rich variety of local cold cuts and cheeses, fresh ricotta, eggs, focaccia, bread cooked in a wood oven and the inevitable cruschi peppers.
Rocchina spoils her guests and is always generous with advice on what to see and what to do in this still too little known corner of Lucania. She also suggests where to go to taste the typical local cuisine by reserving for her guests who are then given a “special treatment”. Rely on her also for the organization of excursions in the area and for the routes to be tackled by e-bike available to guests.
And then let us take you into a restful sleep: here you sleep well and sweet dreams are ensured by the sweet murmur of La Voce del Fiume!
La Voce del Fiume
B&B — Dimora Storica di Charme
Vico del Carmine – Brienza (PZ)
Info: +39 339 2290630
www.lavocedelfiume.it – info@lavocedelfiume.it
