Piedmont travel itinerary:
Cuneo and its valleys

Cuneo and its valleys
Route 1
From Cuneo to Mondovi, city of art and antique flavors.
The itinerary starts from the main town of the province, Cuneo, founded in 1198 and famous for the seven sieges it has endured. The route winds its way along eight kilometers of porticoes, shopping streets, allies, ancient districts and many monuments, amongst which Civic Tower; gothic church of San Francesco (national monument); interesting Museo Civico (for information tel. +39.0171.634175); medieval Contrada Mondovi; baroque cathedral.

We recommend stopping along the route at the town's shops to buy local specialties, such as the "cuneesi al rhum", marron glaces, mushrooms, salami and DOC cheeses. You then proceed for Mondovii (25 kilometers) whose historical center conserves artistic and architectural treasures. The upper part of the town - Piazza - is situated on a hill within medieval walls. The lower part is composed of busy districts, among Breo, Carassone and Piandellavalle. At Piazza the roads converge towards Piazza Maggiore, surrounded by porticoes, overlooked by the Casa dei Bressani (13th century), the buildings of the Governor, Sub-prefecture and Town Hall, the baroque insert in the church and the Jesuit College. The first of the above buildings, known as La Missione, was built in the 1600's by Giovenale Boetto and painted internally by Andrea Pozzo, who here proved his talent for perspective, which then exploded in Rome and Vienna.

Going up north you reach the Vescovado, a university from 1556 to the 1700's with the Sala delle Lauree and the Sala degli Arazzi (fabric of F. van den Hecke on cartoons of P.P. Rubens in 1619). Further on we find the cathedral of S. Donato designed by the Monregalese architect Francesco Gallo in 1700 and the Belvedere, a garden dominated by the Torre dei Bressani from which there is a splendid panorama of the Alps and Langhe.

At Piazza too you can visit the Synagogue dating from the 1700's and the church of Misericordia, another interesting example of the genius of Gallo in his youth. In the district of Breo, actual location of the town hall and center for the commercial life of the town, you can ad-mire the church of SS Pietro e Paolo, with baroque facade, and the "moro" (symbol of the town, a particular mechanical figure which arises from the throne to sound the hours), numerous noble buildings and the imposing baroque church of S. Filippo, designed by Gallo and built from 1734-57. Descending towards Vicoforte (ref. Route 1), you pass an area with country chapels and vineyards and arrive at the heart of the production area of Dolcetto Langhe Monregalesi DOC, a wine which expresses a splendid synthesis of authentic country flavors and aristocratic refinement.
Courtesy of ATR Piedmont - Regione Piedmont

© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
TangoItalia - Food, Wine, Travel, and... tango in Italy.

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