End of the 13th century Giangaleazzo Visconti, prince of Milan, had a bridgehead built on the Mincio river in the wake of the war in northern Italy. Gonella, the court jester, entertained the prince's troops with a legend that said that there were mermaids in the Mincio who got out of the river at night to dance on the bank. However, they had an escape that forced them to take on the appearance of hideous witches. Only Malco, the brave leader, woke up that night and saw the dancing witches. He could catch one of them when she lost her coat, which, to his surprise, revealed itself to be a magical mermaid. On the same night the two fell in love and vowed to remain loyal to one another. Before sunrise, however, the mermaid Silvia had to return to the river and left Malco with a handkerchief with a delicate knot as a pledge of her love.

The next day a legation came to the Visconti court and a brilliant party was held. Three beautiful girls danced in honor of the guests. Malco recognized Silvia in one of them. The love exchange between her and Malco was not hidden and aroused the jealousy of the lady-in-waiting Isabella, who had secretly loved Malco for a long time. Isabella betrayed Silvia to the prince as a witch. The festival was immediately interrupted and Silvia should be incarcerated. Malco threw himself in between and helped her escape. He was arrested as a punishment. His sword was given to the angry visconti prince.

In the evening Isabella went to the imprisoned Malco and, tormented by her guilty conscience, asked him to forgive him. During this conversation, Silvia also came out of the river to save the beloved. She forced Isabella to give up and suggested Malco the only way to escape: into the water, where the mermaids live. Without hesitation, Malco accepted the suggestion and went to the Mincio with Silvia. Alarmed by the guards, the prince of virtue persecuted them, but Isabella stopped him. With regret she asked him for understanding for such a boundless love. So the prince only came to the river when the two lovers had already plunged into the floods. Prince Visconti found a little handkerchief made of gilded silk on the bank with the symbolic love knot, which was to remind the two lovers and their eternal love.

Since then, the women of Valeggio have been preparing a pasta on festive days, which they shape and knot like Silvia's golden silk handkerchief, and fill it with a delicious insert. So much for the history of Valeggio's Tortellini.