Ca’ Bianca, a story of sisterhood and passion

Twenty-five years ago, Emanuela opened Locanda Ca’ Bianca with her father, and here their passion for cooking became their work.

Today she runs it with her sister Chiara, courageously finding a perfect balance between work and family.

Renato loved to cook and saw the same passion in his daughter Emanuela, who from a young age would take refuge in the kitchen to try creating something special.

He hadn’t been able to study as a chef, but he saw an opportunity and, 25 years ago, proposed to Emanuela that they give it a try: open their own place where they could cook traditional Occitan recipes and perhaps experiment with something new. Emanuela immediately accepted, and together they opened Locanda Ca’ Bianca in Roccabruna.

Right from the start, their grandmother made herself available to help with the longer preparations, like peeling potatoes or preparing stuffed onions, but above all she taught them the family recipe for ravioles, still the restaurant’s signature dish today.

It was always she who looked after Chiara in the evenings—who was in elementary school at the time—and stayed with her, right above the restaurant. The little girl had permission to come down at the end of the evening, when her father prepared zabaione, always leaving a taste for her, like a ritual. A sweet memory from which, years later, her passion for pastry would grow.

The place was a success. Emanuela worked at the restaurant, becoming increasingly passionate about cooking. Meanwhile, Chiara pursued an artistic path, then chose a degree in engineering, though she continued to help out at the Locanda whenever she could. Season after season, however, the idea of being able to work in her valley, close to her family, attracted her more and more. Finally she made up her mind and, combining the creativity of her art studies with the precision of engineering, began studying pastry and working full-time at Ca’ Bianca.

A precious resource for the restaurant and a delight for guests staying in the rooms, who have breakfast with her pastries baked fresh every day.

Preparing lunches, dinners, and breakfasts, plus taking care of the rooms, requires tremendous commitment, and with the birth of their children, the two sisters wondered how to manage everything while maintaining the quality that has always distinguished their offerings. After reflecting and weighing all the options, they made a bold decision: the closing day would be Sunday, and the restaurant would offer its dishes only at lunch.

Only at midday? And not even on Sundays? At first, customers were incredulous. They didn’t want to lose this landmark for their dinners! Gradually, though, they understood the two sisters’ reasons and rewarded the quality of a kitchen where every preparation is still made in-house, something that requires time and dedication.

Papa Renato, the soul of the inn, is always present. Even if he sometimes doesn’t agree with his daughters’ decisions, he respects and always supports them. Their grandmother, too, who lived to be a hundred, continued until the end to want to help her granddaughters, perhaps peeling potatoes, and was happy to see her granddaughters content.

And perhaps this is the real secret of Locanda Ca’ Bianca: here, in addition to finding good traditional food, you breathe an air of serenity that comes from the perfect balance between doing work you love and the needs of family.

Watch the video story dedicated to Locanda Ca’ Bianca at this link.

This story is part of the project “Stories of Life in Valle Maira“, created by the Valle Maira Tourism Consortium and produced by photographer Eunice Brovida, videomaker Fabjo Hazizaj, and copywriter Milena Rivolta.

Discover the other stories on the website vallemaira.org and on our social media