Discover Italy 
Every September in the town of Guastalla, a corner of Emilia Romagna remembers the flora, fauna and fruit which once populated much of this section of the Padana plain.
Officially entitled 'Piante e Animali Perduti' the event is dedicated to recuperating and reevaluating what has been driven away by intensive farming methods, but which once formed a large part of the local diet and economy.
Visitors can get close to rare farm animals and taste dishes made with such delights as cheese from the 'vacca rossa reggiana' or 'bianca modenese' cow steaks.
More familiar perhaps is lardo from the cinta senese pig, the aromatic culatello romagnola, the borettana onion and garlic of Voghiera.
Expect also to find some of the region's best traditional balsamic vinegar from Reggio Emilia and Modena.
The Condotta Slow Food of Reggio Emilia also runs a laboratory to sample wine from rare and forgotten native Italian vines.
If you check out the local restaurants during the event the the menu will be featuring donkey 'stracotto' and fried 'gnocco'.
