Sogliano al Rubicone

Sogliano al Rubicone is a town in the heart of the Romagna hills, much loved by the poet Giovanni Pascoli, who admired “the blue vision of San Marino” from its hilltop. Here, the poet’s sisters spent much of their youth at the Augustinian convent.

Formaggio di Fossa: Pit-Aged Cheese

Among its many places of historical and artistic interest, Sogliano is best known for a traditional gastronomic speciality with ancient roots: formaggio di fossa, a distinctive pit-aged cheese.

According to recent studies, the practice of preserving cheese in underground pits was already known to the Malatesta family, who are believed to have discovered by chance how the cheese developed its unique characteristics after several months of storage in hermetically sealed pits dug into the tuff rock.

Sogliano has made formaggio di fossa one of its most celebrated local products, available to enjoy throughout the year. The traditional aging pits can be visited when they are not being used to store cheese.

The Formaggio di Fossa Festival

The traditional Formaggio di Fossa Festival takes place in November. According to tradition, on 25 November, Saint Catherine’s Day, the pits are opened and the aged cheeses are brought back to the surface.

Further Information: Municipality of Sogliano al Rubicone