Polenta has always represented one of the basic products of the mountain people's diet and in each area a particular maize was grown. The corn which was better adapted to the conditions of the local microclimate.
Agostinella corn was selected over the centuries in Vallepietra and is now listed in the regional register of genetic resources at risk of erosion. The cob has a classic orange color and is smaller than those normally found in lowland areas. For this reason, the cultivation of this corn had been abandoned together with the depopulation of the town.
Thanks to Slow Food and the policies of the Monti Simbruini regional park, this corn has returned to being planted in rotation with potatoes, beans or cabbage.
The typical polenta of Vallepietra is prepared with agostinella corn flour, to which a festival is dedicated in autumn.
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