Piemont Tour 2019

Our first impressions of Alba, a historical town with about 31.500 inhabitants on the edge of the Po Valley, the main town of the Langhe and seat of the diocese of Alba. The settlement history of Alba goes back to the Neolithic 6th to 3rd millennium B.C. The Ligurians settled here and in 173 B.C. the Roman Empire took over the regime ,since 89 B.C. with the name Alba Pompeia known as the Roman town. Conquered by the Longobards and Saracens in the Middle Ages ,in the 12th century it became a free city and joined the Lombard League of Northern Italian cities. Constantly fought over between different family clans, the city fell to the Gonzaga, conquered three times by Charles Emanuel I and lost again, involved in the power conflict between France and Spain. In 1631 during the peace negotiations Alba fell to the Savoy. During Napoleon's reign, the Republic of Alba was established here and in October and November 1944 the local resistance movement against the fascist dictatorship in Italy proclaimed the Republic of Alba again.

On the way in the alleys of Alba PiP: The church Santa Maria Maddalena, would be a rare Bjou . The church of Santa Maria Maddalena is a Roman Catholic church built in late Baroque style, with an unfinished brick facade, the pattern of concave and convex bricks characteristic of late Baroque architecture. The simple exterior is not reminiscent of the refined and colourful interior, which unfortunately could not be visited.

The Cathedral of Alba It is a Romanesque building, the earliest building was erected here at the end of the 5th century, and the present building, dating from the first half of the 12th century, is built with the typical red brick. Between the 12th and 15th century the cathedral was rebuilt with late gothic elements, in 1626 an earthquake caused considerable damage to the building, which was repaired in 1652 in a major renovation, the last major restoration was carried out between 1867 and 1878, the current appearance dates back to a controversial renovation in the 19th century

Medieval tower "Torre Sineo " Alba is also called the "city of a hundred towers", because in the past a great number of towers were built for defensive purposes and as family towers of the rich noble families. Of the many towers, only a few are still standing and are now considered the city's main attractions. One of the most important and best preserved is the Sineo Tower, dating from the 12th century.

Besides all the medieval buildings, the city of Alba has a lot more to offer, among other things, is surrounded by famous vineyards and orchards, a centre of the confectionery industry and the headquarters of the Ferrero company. Headquarters of Mondo, a manufacturer of rubber surfaces, balls and special sports surfaces, which has been equipping all the athletics stadiums for the Olympic Games since 1976.

Our next stage leads northwards through hilly landscapes and small towns worth seeing from Alba to Montafia

View over the valley to Guarene with the castle of the same name on top of the village The castle was built in the eighteenth century as a dream come true for a nobleman from Guarene. Today, the castle makes new dreams come true. It has remained intact and houses some works of art and has been converted into a top class hotel.

Canale parish church The parish church, already mentioned in 1213, was transformed into the church of S. Vittore in the 19th century, at the end of the 17th century it was enlarged and in 1726 it was given a baroque façade. The interior is richly decorated and embellished. Unfortunately also closed

Canale is the largest market town in Roero and the capital of Piedmont peach. Canale was founded in 1260 by the free city of Asti. Canale was built in the typical style of that time as "Villanova" with rectangular streets and arcades. Canale had an eventful history: in 1387 Canale became part of the Visconti county and as part of a dowry Canale went to the Orléans. In 1530 the dominion was ceded to the House of Savoy. By a decree of the President of the Republic, Canale was granted the title of "City" on July 27, 2011. The Campari Group operates two factories in Canale for the brands Campari and Aperol. At the beginning of the 20th century, the phylloxera, enormous damage to the hills and other damage that had weakened viticulture, agriculture focused on the cultivation of peaches .

Canale was founded in 1260 by the free city of Asti. Canale was built in the typical style of that time as "Villanova" with rectangular streets and arcades. Canale had an eventful history: in 1387 Canale became part of the Visconti county and as part of a dowry Canale went to the Orléans. In 1530 the dominion was ceded to the House of Savoy. By a decree of the President of the Republic, Canale was granted the title of "City" on July 27, 2011.

The church of San Giovanni ,probably already existed in the 12th century. The first reliable documents date back to 1361. In the middle of the 15th century it was restored and completely extended and on July 28th 1472 it was consecrated. Unfortunately, there is no access to the interior

The majestic bell tower of the Church of San Giovanni Battista A beautiful baroque church from the late 17th century, which was revised at the beginning of the 20th century. The bell tower is a jewel, it was built in 1914 with private funds. With a height of about 45 metres and 139 steps, it is the highest bell tower in the province of Asti.

One more stage to our starting point from Montafia via Chieri to Turin

The triumphal arch of Chieri Built in 1580, the monumental arch of Chieri is considered an example of the solemn monument of the Mannerist period, one of the few remaining in Piedmont, because of its size, splendour and extraordinary preservation. Inspired by the classical Roman imperial arches, the arch is an important testimony to the cultural and artistic orientations introduced in Piedmont after 1562, when the Savoy court became involved in the artistic field to demonstrate its prestige at European level by promoting the trends of taste and fashion in central Italy.

In the streets of Chieri you can admire the art of blacksmithing by the hundreds on the elaborate balcony balustrades which were celebrated in the old days

Chieri is a city of warm, inviting colours, of soft and smooth contours, of the hilly landscape on which the city of Chieri stands. The town, has been able to preserve its cultural, historical and architectural wealth in many ways, also thanks to some rich and powerful merchant families.

Moncalieri, a suburb of the big city of Turin, with about 58000 thousand inhabitants, from here the rural silence is over. Collegiate Church of S. Maria della Scala, The Collegiate Church of S. Maria della Scala is one of the most important buildings of Piedmontese Gothic. The church was originally built in Romanesque style. The building, as it is preserved today, dates back to a factory.

After six days on the bike saddle and about 400 kilometres through the Piedmontese hills, we pack our bikes into the car and head back to Switzerland, with a stop in Aosta