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Piemonte
- Region
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Sestriere |
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Sacra di San
Michele - Turin |
A region bordering France in north eastern Italy. Mountains and plains, rivers, cities, farming and industry all live together in harmony in this region.
The round hilly area of Monferrato, the rolling terrain of the
Langhe, the misty Po river, Lakes
Maggiore (Italy's largest)
and Orta.
Its mountain resorts and
alpine skiing along with its wonderful
castles, its history, and museums, abbeys and
cathedrals, everywhere.
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Langhe area -
horse riding |
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Barola Castle |
The regional capital of Piemonte is
Torino (Turin) but
Turin also has its 18th century architecture, its
bronze equestrian statues, its Mole Antonelliana, Egyptian Museum, and
Superga.
Piemonte
is notable for fine food...the bon vivant has game, truffles and fondue, accompanied by
Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Gattinara wines.
A must is a visit to the
Langhe area, province of Cuneo, a territory of gentle, fertile hills
renowned for its vineyards and castles. The main center of the Langhe area is
Alba, the world capital of truffles, and the seat of the celebrated
Ferrero factory, producer of Nutella, Rocher and Kinder chocolate brands.
Piemonte
was the host to the 2006 winter Olympics.
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Alba's truffle |
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Piemonte's
delights |
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Asti
- the lands of moscato wine. Meeting with your guide
in your hotel. Departure for a tour through the
hills which produce some of the finest red
(Barbera) and white (Moscato d’Asti, Asti
Spumante) wines of Piedmont. Arrival in Canelli, the
homeland of the Asti Spumante (white sparkling wine)
and Moscato d’Asti (sweet white wine) following
a scenic road through the hills.
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Piemonte
vineyards with view of the Alps |
Visit
one of the historic wineries of the towns Gancia
or Contratto with their beautiful cellars called
“underground cathedrals” which stretch under the town and
final wine-tasting. Transfer to Nizza
Monferrato with a visit of the Bersano Museum
which is dedicated to the farming tradition. Then, visit
of the Bersano winery with final wine-tasting.
Lunch in a typical osteria of the town hosted in the underground
cellars of the XVIII century Palazzo Crova (not
included in the price).
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Battistero
di San Pietro - Castellamonte |
Asti
center:
half day
A guided tour through the historic centre of the city famous for
the Palio, the traditional horse race which takes place every 3rd Sunday of September.
From Piazza Alfieri, dedicated to the famous playwright
Vittorio Alfieri who was born in Asti in 1749, you may reach the Romanesque-gothic Collegiate Church of San
Secondo. Then visit the baroque Town
Hall, the theatre, and walk through the medieval towers and buildings up to the
gothic cathedral.
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Streets
lined with flags |
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Asti
- Palio, traditional horse race |
Your tour continues in the Crypt of Sant'Anastasio, a collection of some Roman ruins, an VIII-X century
grave-yard area, romanesque capitels, etc., and finish in the Complex of San Pietro in Consavia, built as an imitation of the
Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where you can also visit a
paleontological and an archeological museum (the latter with some Egyptian finds).
For those who love shopping, a walk along the Corso Alfieri with its elegant shops is not to be missed.
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Turin
(Torino)
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View of Turin
under the mist and the Alps beyond |
Turin
is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in
northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly
on the right bank of the Po River. Turin is well-known as
the home of the Shroud of Turin and Juventus
FC, headquarters of Fiat and Lancia
automobile manufacturers and host of the 2006 Winter
Olympics. It has been the capital of the
Duchy of Savoy since 1563, then of the Kingdom of
Savoy and finally the first capital of the unified Italy.
The
Royal City:
half or
full day
Guided tour on foot of the city historic centre with its important monuments: the
Cathedral where the Holy Shroud is kept, the Royal Palace and its beautiful gardens, the
Church of the Great Mother of God, the
Porte Palatine (remains of Roman walls) and the Roman district, the
Mole Antonelliana which hosts the new National Cinema Museum, and the elegant
Piazza San Carlo with the historic cafés where you may taste the delicious bicherin drink prepared with the traditional Gianduja chocolate.
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The
Cathedral of Turin |
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The Royal
Palace |
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| San Carlo
square |
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Antique
Egyptian Museum |
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Moreover, a visit of the Egyptian Museum, second only to the one in Cairo, cannot be missed.
And finally, driving just a few miles from the city, you may visit the Basilica of Superga which stands on the hill overlooking Turin and go down in the royal tombs of the
Savoia family remembering the main stages of the rich history of the city.
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Turin
Cathedral, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist
(Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista) is the major
church of Turin, Italy. It was built during
1491-1498 and it is adjacent to an earlier campanile (1470).
The Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the current resting place of
the Shroud of Turin, was added to the structure
in 1668-1694.
Passages underneath the church, a free tour is available for
tourists to view artifacts relating to the shroud, as well as
a video regarding the shroud and other historical artifacts. The main church is also open for tours a few hours a day
outside of mass. In the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, only a
replica can be viewed, as the Shroud itself is brought out for
special occasions.
The Shroud, which
is 4.42 meters long by 1.13 meters wide, is made of linen of "herringbone"
weave. According to tradition the Shroud is the
burial cloth in which Jesus was wrapped after he was taken down
from the cross. The Gospels say that Joseph of
Arimathea laid the body of Jesus in the tomb after wrapping in a
"shroud".
During the
exposition of 1898 Secondo Pia (a lawyer from the town of Asti)
was authorized to photograph the Shroud. He was
astonished and profoundly moved when he saw that the
photographic negative revealed the positive image (as we see in
real life) of a man with a clear, impressive, majestic
countenance: the imprints on the Shroud therefore behave like a
naturally negative image, with the exception of the bloodstains
and the marks of the wounds.
Studies and
scientific reseach has been carried out over a century; traces
imprinted on the Shroud are of four different types...
1 - Fire
marks
2 - Water stains
3 - Chiaroscuro imagine of a human figure
4 - Bloodstains.
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Royal Place -
was the house of Savoy |
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Royal
Palace or Palazzo Reale, was the royal
palace of the House of Savoy, built for the
Madama Reale Christine Marie of France
in the seventeenth century.
Turin, today the capital of Piedmont, was a capital of the
House of Savoy from the 12th to the 19th
centuries and the Royal Palace contains much evidence of their
aristocratic lifestyle. The royal family resided in the
palace from 1645. Its rooms are decorated with rich
tapestries and a collection of Chinese and Japanese vases.
The Royal Armory houses an extensive array of
arms, including examples from the 16th and 17th
centuries. The Scala delle Forbici
is a much-admired staircase by Filippo Juvarra.
The Chapel of the Holy Shroud, with its spiral
dome, was built in the west wing of the palace, joining the
apse of the cathedral of St. John the Baptist, to house the
famous Shroud of Turin which belonged to the family from 1453
until 1946.
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Mole Antonelliana |
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Scenic view from the top |
National Museum of Cinema
- Fondation Maria Adriana Prolo
The only one in Italy and among the most important ones in the world, the National Museum of Cinema is located inside the Mole
Antonelliana, the historic building symbol of Turin.
The Mole Antonelliana, designed originally as a synagogue, has been completely restored as an absolutely unique shrine to cinema.
At 167 metres, the Mole is certainly the highest museum in the world.
A scenic lift, that goes up through the centre of the building to the dome and pavilion gives not only a view of the objects and exhibits on display with spectacular and fascinating effects and perspectives, but also a complete scenic panorama of the city and its surrounding
mountains.
Another special element is the museum collection itself, among the most complete in the world including:
The museum is completed by its
library with 20,000 volumes and 3,000 periodical
titles, an audio library and print archives
of great historical value.
A fantastic route has been planned for the visitor through the various collections and the early experiments with moving images up until the birth of cinema.
Ten "chapels" placed around the Temple Hall are dedicated to great themes in cinema history: Love and Death, Cabiria, Cinema in Torino, Animated Cinema, Experimental Cinema, Mirrors, The Absurd, Horror and Fantasy, True and False, Big Bang, all with film sets, photographs, designs and sketches... There will be showings of short films and animated films in the Temple Hall, the immense and spectacular heart of the museum situated in the centre of the Mole.
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Temple
Hall |
Opening
Hours: 9am - 8pm Tuesday - Friday and Sunday,
9am - 11pm Saturday.
Closing
days: closed on Monday
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Alessandria
and its
provinces
are rich in history and tradition and there is no shortage of places to relive the past, maybe even while enjoying a nice meal and a glass of wine.
This land of hills, plains, and mountains offers a rich variety of products:
D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines (Brachetto of Acqui, Gavi of Novi, Cortese of Tortona, Dolcetto of Acqui and Ovada, Barbera of Alessandria and Casale, Moscato of Asti) all, white, red or flavoured, possessing a unique quality coming from their strong yet smooth taste and subtle perfume.
The true glory of this area is, however, the truffle, an underground fungus that grows only in a soil rich in silicon near certain types of trees that favour their development and are common in Piedmont. There are over 100 different varieties of truffle in nature: the most famous is without a doubt the
White truffle of Alba.
The
Citadel of nAlessandria was built in the ex-district of
Borgoglio, after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, when
Alessandria passed from the dominion of Spain to the one of the
House of Savoy.
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Piazza
garibaldi |
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The name Alessandria was given to the city to honour
Pope Alexander III, protector of the league.
Alessandria remained a free commune until 1348 when it was ruled by the
Viscontis, then by the Sforzas, and after that the
Spagnolis. It was conquered by Prince Eugene
in 1707 and given to the house of Savoia in 1713.
In 1728 Vittorio Amedeo II fortified Alessandria in order to create an important strategic location and bulwark in
Piemont.
In 1849, after the fall of Novara, Alessandria was garrisoned for four months by Austria.
Alessandria is famous for its city walls: it was, in fact, for a long time referred to as "Alessandria of straw" because its walls, though built of mud and straw, were able to resist outside attacks for four whole centuries until 1415 when the
Earl of Carmagnola took the city.
Municipal Art Gallery
is worth
seeing.
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Alba:
Homeland of white truffles-
half
day
Guided tour on foot of the historic centre of Alba, that back in the middle Ages was given the name of “the town of 100 towers”.
Today only four of them are left, all stand in Piazza del Risorgimento where beautiful medieval buildings and the late-gothic
cathedral of San Lorenzo create a stunning atmosphere.
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Cathedral
of San Lorenzo |
Alba is also famous for the White Truffle Fair which takes place every October (this year at its first international edition!). You
may then walk along via Maestra, the main street, and visit shops and places where you
can try and buy wines, chocolate and…..truffles!
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White
Truffle |
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view
from Cavour's castle |
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Cavour's
castle - Alba |
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La
Morra
In
the midst of the rolling hills lies La Morra,
one of the most famous towns in the Barolo area
and in the provence of Cuneo. In the beginning La Morra was a castle, in the 15th
century the ruling french imposed the the citizens to
distroy it and so today one can climb the ancient glacis to
admire the wonderful panorama: vine-yards, hills and
valleys, villages, castles and watch towers.
La Morra is an old settlement - there has been found many
reports from the roman times, but the traces of its history is
more alive today due to the names of some of the terrory
localities: Costa Ungaresca
reminds us the raid of the Hungarians in year 1000,
Serra dei Turchi the devastating Saracen.
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La Morra
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Vine-yard in
autumn |
A
long major wine growing region, it was illegal in La Morra to
cut down a Nebbiolo vine. The penalties for this
offense range from a fine, to having a hand amputated to hanging.
In September is the winw festival -
Festa del
vino Barolo.
Whether you come to Barolo as a day trip or spend a bit longer,
La Morra is in many ways the best village to start with.
The Renato Ratti winery lies down the hill from
the village. The winter’s cold weather sometimes
closes their Barolo museum, but see it if you can;
it’s a wonderful introduction to the wine’s history.
Next to the museum is the brand-new, environmentally-friendly
winery, set into the hill (Think hobbits, except full-height and
with an Italian flair). The new tasting room offers
a great view of some of their vineyards, so you can taste a
wine, and say, “These grapes were grown right there.”
Notable vineyards: Arborina, Brunate and Cerequio
(both of which overlap into the Barolo commune), Rocche
dell’Annunziata.
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San Rocco
Church |
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Bell tower,
1710 - La Morra |
Just a 10-minute drive down back roads, in the middle of nowhere,
is a colorful church named Cappella della Brunate,
it was built by a local farmer in 1914 as a church, never been
consacrated, and later transformed into a small wine temple.
It was restored by the Cerreto winery, which now owns the land,
and was painted in vivid colours by two american artists
David Tremlett, internal, and Sol LeWitt,
external.
The
chapel is open to the public - Ceretto, Aziende Vitivinicole srl,
Loc. San Cassiano 34, 12051 Alba, CN.
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Cappella della
Brunate |
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In the
distance is the town of La Morra |
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In
Marengo, for example, every two years there is a re-enactment of the famous battle which took place there between
Napoleon's French army and the Austrians on June 14, 1800. This event is also commemorated by a museum
- The Marengo Battle Museum - The Eastern Piedmont University.
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Napoleon's
Porta Ticinese |
The old
Borsalino factory, which housed the famous Hat Museum until a few years ago, is now home to the Eastern Piedmont
University, it is of fairly recent institution. At the beginning it was totally dependent on the University of Turin, and only in 1997 it became an autonomous, independent
University.
Despite its "youth", this university has been able to grow, thanks above all to the presence of keen, hard-working staff members and students.
Thanks to its convenient location, at the crossroads of the principal roads of communication, Alessandria can easily and quickly be reached from cities like Turin, Milan, and Genoa.
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Every summer,
Vignale
Monferrato
offers
high level dance productions, with the presence of some of the most promising young dancers.
Vignaledanza (this is the name of the show) includes exhibitions of great interest.
In Vignale it is also possible to admire the Regional Wine
Cellar, located in the hills of tufo.
In addition,
Casale Monferrato, we can remember the numerous churches and the local museums, such as the
Museum of Natural History in Ovada, the Synagogue and the
Jewish museum.
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Synagogue
-The Temple of Casale Monferrato was built in 1595.
It is a monument of great artistic and historical interest, a valid proof of the important role played by the jewish community in this city, once capital of a prestigious independent marquisate, today still rich of beautiful artistic
buldings. Casale's Synagogue is open only on Sundays
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At
Acqui Terme
one can admire the
stone vaults of the regional wine cellars situated in the majestic
Robellini Palace, which contain 90% of the Brachetto wine produced in
Italy. For a quality toast we suggest a visit to Palazzo Robellini, the Regional Enoteca of Brachetto.
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Town
of Acqui Terme |
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La Bollente, Il cuore pulsante di Acqui Terme |
In the heart of Acqui
Terme, a few kilometres from Alessandria, there is the famous
"Bollente" with its 540 litres of water per minute springing at a temperature of 75°C. The beneficial and therapeutic properties of this water were already recognized in
Roman times, when Acqui Terme was well-known for its
baths.
Worth
seeing:
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Piazza della Bollente, where there is a small marble chapel built by the architect
Giovanni Cerruti where curative water gushes from its
center.
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Castle of the Paleologi
family
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Romanesque Cathedral of S. Pietro
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the Roman
Acqueduct
Recent works of restoration on historical buildings belonging to different ages, gave Acqui a new splendor.
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Wine
cellar |
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Roman
acqueduct - Acqui Terme |
The thermal area has developed on the other bank of the river, around the ancient spa and the magnificent park.
Acqui Terme is a celebrated spa resort since Roman times. The Romans already knew the therapeutic properties of its springs.
This town's fame soon stretched beyond its borders and even now, in an age of great medical progress, the
therapeutic nature of the sodium iodine waters rich in bromine is still uncontested, especially in the treatment of
respiratory problems, traumas, and rheumatism.
And so Acqui Terme offers an occasion to spend time healing and resting while staying in one of the peaceful and reserved accommodation facilities typical of this
area.
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