Trout Return to a Tuscan Mill Town

Nov 07 Abandoned in 1974, Molin di Bucchio now supplies some of Italy’s best restaurants. For more than three decades, no fish swam the stone tanks of Molin di Bucchio, once a thriving 19th-century trout farm in Tuscany’s Casentino Valley that was abandoned in 1974. Then in 2008, four childhood friends who had grown up fishing the region’s rivers took on the restoration of the farm, which neighbors a 13th-century mill in the historic town of Stia. They cleared vegetation from the stone tanks and restored the flow of water from the Arno, whose source lies just five miles upstream. Their plan was to raise fish again while helping to conserve native species and restock local waterways. They never predicted that their farm would end up supplying some of Italy’s best restaurants. The mill had stopped operating in the 1960s, but trout farming continued, with new tanks added until the sudden death of one of the brothers who owned the property—and the family disputes that followed—brought it to a halt. In 2000, owner Claudio Bucchi began clearing the site, hoping to see water in the tanks again, as he remembered them from childhood. Continue reading Access this and all our other premium articles by joining our membership program. Plans start at $6.50 per month and include twice-weekly digital features, access to in-person events, and more. Campania Morocco Southern China All Trips Up Next The Basketmaker Chefs Have on Speed Dial