Zona Alpi, La Malga in Città
Cheese shop in the historic centre of Brescia. Since 2015 Marzia and Bruno select, age and sell the mountain cheeses of the Brescia valleys, and deliver to Bassa Franciacorta.
About Quartirolo Lombardo
A soft square table cheese from cows' milk, raw or pasteurised, made across ten Lombard provinces that include Brescia, and named by the Franciacorta consortium among the cheeses of its area. Qualigeo sets two types: fresh, matured 2 to 30 days, and aged, over 30 days. The square forms have flat faces and straight sides and weigh 1.5 to 3.5 kg, with a thin soft white-pink rind that turns grey-green and reddish with age. The name comes from the quartirola, the grass grown after the third summer hay cut, and Qualigeo dates the cheese, once called stracchino quadro, to the 10th century.
Made in: Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Milano, Monza-Brianza, Pavia and Varese provinces
On the plate
Slightly acidic and aromatic when fresh, more aromatic when aged, per Qualigeo. The paste is compact and even, slightly lumpy and crumbly, and melts more easily as it ages.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Quartirolo Lombardo
Franciacorta Satèn Franciacorta
Our pickQuartirolo is slightly acidic and aromatic, with a compact, crumbly paste that melts more easily as it ages. A Chardonnay-led Satèn, bottled at lower pressure for a softer mousse, matches that gentle texture and lifts the milky tang without scrubbing the palate.
Franciacorta Brut Franciacorta
Our pickQualigeo describes fresh Quartirolo as slightly acidic and aromatic, with a compact, crumbly paste. A Franciacorta Brut sets high acidity and fine bubbles beside it, cleaning the palate without covering the milky tang.
The grapes behind these winesChardonnay
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Gastronomia Gigola
Family-run delicatessen in Brescia selling Bagòss, Nostrano Valtrompia and formaggelle di Crocedomini beside Grana Padano Riserva and French cheeses, with a wine range that includes Franciacorta.
Cheese experiences nearby
Malghe Aperte Silter DOP
Silter consortium programme on set days each summer: alpine dairies in the Val Camonica, north of Lake Iseo, show visitors the herd at pasture, the milking and the making of Silter DOP, with Silter to taste.
Laboratori del Casaro at Cà de Bì
Cheesemaker workshops on a goat farm at Ome, in the Franciacorta hills, where visitors learn to make fresh cheeses. Phone the farm ahead for dates, length and price.
Mercato Agricolo Coperto Campagna Amica, Brescia
Covered farmers' market in Brescia where producers of the province sell direct. Il Colmetto, the goat farm at Rodengo Saiano, sells its goat cheeses, yogurts and puddings at its stall here.
Merende in Fattoria at Cà de Bì
Tastings of the farm's goat cheeses and local products on a goat farm at Ome, in the Franciacorta hills. Phone the farm ahead for dates and price.
Quartirolo Lombardo: questions
Is it made in Brescia province?
Yes, Brescia is one of the ten Lombard provinces in the Qualigeo production zone.
Does Franciacorta list it as a local product?
Yes, the Franciacorta consortium's typical-products page names Quartirolo Lombardo DOP among the cheeses of the area.
What does it go with?
Qualigeo suggests extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of pepper, and walnuts, apples, grapes or honey.
When was Quartirolo Lombardo first protected?
Italy recognised it as a denominazione di origine by a decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 10 May 1993 (Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 196, 21 August 1993); the EU registered it as a DOP in 1996.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Franciacorta
Plan the trip
Visit Quartirolo Lombardo country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Franciacorta
Franciacorta: Guided Winery Tour and Tasting Experience
All 135 experiences in FranciacortaBooking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: protection register, www.qualigeo.eu, franciacorta.wine. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.