Comune Cella Monte

via Barbano Dante, 30 - 15034 Cella Monte (AL)
Tel. +39 (0142) 488.161
Fax: +39 (0142) 489.962
E-mail: info@comune.cellamonte.al.it
http://www.comune.cellamonte.al.it

On the opposite hill rises Cella Monte, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, site of the Ecomuseum of Cantoni Stone, with its Infernot, opened to safeguard and enhance the sandstone used as a building material up to the middle of the last century. From the Ecomuseum, taking the main street, you arrive at the small Romanesque Church of San Quirico, which arose in the primitive centre of the village. An itinerary among the magnificent landscapes of the territory takes the visitor between Cella Monte and the district of Coppi, accompanied by the reproductions of the works of artist Gianni Colonna. The village is famous for the Regional White Truffle Fair held in November, in Valle Ghenza.

In 2014, UNESCO added the winegrowing landscapes of “Langhe Roero and Monferrato” to the list of World Heritage Sites. Cella Monte, in particular, is in the heart of “Monferrato of the Infernot”.
The Infernot is a small underground chamber dug entirely in the rock that is usually accessed from the cellar. In the past, these small chambers with a constant temperature and humidity, absence of light, ventilation and noise guaranteed the ideal conditions for storing bottles of the best wine.
These artifacts, unique in their genre and small architectural jewels, bear witness to the ancient knowledge of farmers and are widespread in Monferrato. They were built during the second half of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century by the local inhabitants who dug the bare rock with picks and chisels according to their taste.
Each Infernot is different from the other: with a circular, square or rectangular plan, multi-chamber or having a corridor. The bottles are stored on continuous shelves, steps or niches; the walls can be finished more or less smooth or with a natural break. Many have a central table dug into the rock, friezes or embellishments.
Cella Monte is home to the Ecomuseum of the Pietra da Cantoni, set up to enhance and preserve the sedimentary material typical of this area in which the Infernots were built. This sandstone that formed millions of years ago when the sea withdrew from the Padana Lowland is perfectly compact and therefore suitable for extracting blocks from it for the construction of buildings but at the same time easy to work and suitable for digging. The Ecomuseum is located in Palazzo Volta. Recent restoration work on the building has brought to light the 15th century loggia. The visit is completed with a stroll through the town, where there is no shortage of floral and characteristic corners to photograph.