Roccaverano, what a Holy Experience in the Bormida Valley! – Sensory activities for families

01 October 2024 - 31 December 2025
5 days - 4 nights

The Gothic highpoint of this tour package is the ancient parish Church of San Giovanni Battista in Roccaverano (AT), today a cemetery church, which retains the most imposing and complete cycle of Gothic frescoes of the Asti area. The characters include Saints Lucia (eyes), Apollonia (teeth) and Agata (breast) to which we entrust our sight, taste and touch to characterise this ideal family package: experience together to share memories. Play at recognising the female saints and San Rocco (dog/smell) and Sant’ Antonio Abate (bell/hearing) in the other churches you will visit.

TOUR PACKAGES FOR THE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS IN LUCE FONDAZIONE COMPAGNIA DI SAN PAOLO

day 1
Tip: see the 3 km² village and 50 residents with your own eyes, well looked-after and full of artistic works; taste the tonda gentile trilobata hazelnut, the best in the world; touch the products, choose the ingredients and put your cooking skills to the test.

Arrive in Bergolo, awarded the orange flag by the Italian Touring Club, known as the stone village because of the houses renovated using the stone of Langhe. The village is an outdoor art gallery thanks to its murals, sculptures and bas-reliefs of contemporary artists that feature in large numbers on the façades of the buildings and in the most hidden and picturesque corners.
The next stop-off point is Cortemilia, a small town in Langhe, capital of the tonda gentile IGP hazelnut of Piedmont. It hosts the National Hazelnut Fair (last week of August) each year. Visit the hazelnut groves and the production workshop and stop-off at a pastry shop of a renowned hazelnut factory with tasting experience.
Cortemilia is also home to the National Children’s Literature Prize, Il Gigante delle Langhe, held every year to promote reading among children; the orange-bearded giant assists the children of the jury, together with the technical jury, in selecting the books, theatre performances, writing and illustration workshops. Visit the civic Library, beating heart of the cultural activities of the area and home to the prize: the ground floor is home to the terracing development centre and the first floor is a magical world of books and illustrations.
To follow, cooking class in agriturismo where all the family will be involved in making traditional dishes using the ingredients grown on the farm, concluding with a tasting of the food prepared. Overnight in Cortemilia.

day 2
Tip: identify the saints in the frescoes; refresh the concept of “as sweet as honey”; pet the baby goats and then off to the robiola school!

Morning dedicated to discovering the world of bees. At the farm in Castelletto Uzzone you will meet a young farmer who will reveal all the secrets of an apiary. He will win you over with superb tastings of his honeys and amaze you with the use of modern drones to check on the health of his crops. Lunch at leisure.
In the afternoon, short transfer to Roccaverano and visit the ancient parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, located at the foot of the hill on which the town stands. The single nave interior is covered by the largest cycle of frescoes of the 15th century local school in the province of Asti.
Roccaverano is also one of the production centres of Roccaverano DOP, a typical soft cheese made 100% from goat milk and produced only in these areas (10 municipalities in the province of Asti and 9 in the province of Alessandria) according to strict regulations.
In the centre of the village, you will take part in the Robiola School, a workshop to discover the DOP cheese. Visit one of the production dairies where you can become acquainted with the baby goats which are the true stars of the experience.
Dinner at leisure and overnight in Cortemilia.

day 3
Tip: measure your emotions at the sight of the gullies, modelled by the rain in the shape of elephant backs and in front of gypsum blocks sculptured to become works of art in marble or bronze; taste the plin (pasta) and imagine listening to women chattering around a table to create those typical ravioli with a pinch, strung out one by one like a rosary bead; climb onto a big bench.

After breakfast, set off to discover the area following the branch of the Bormida of Spigno. First stop-off point is Merana with its medieval tower of San Fermo from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the gullies. These formed as the result of the geomorphological phenomenon of soil erosion. Rain-water drainage on hillsides composed of argyle rock (sea sediments dating back 35 million years) ensures that this type of soil is unsuitable for cultivation and the streaming of waters, flowing unrestrained along the slopes, forms deep and branched furrows. San Fermo Park, which lies towards the centre of the village, is home to the lilac big bench (#45) of the Chris Bangle circuit. Climb up, sit down and take magnificent photographs of the surrounding landscape with your feet dangling off the seat.

The second part of the tour can be done by e-bike (e-bike rental with luggage transportation included is available - depart from Merana and arrive in Bistagno 30 km)

The tour continues to Mombaldone, of ancient Roman origin, founded along the Via Aemilia Scauri which connected the Po Valley to the sea: the village retains its medieval urban layout and above all the original boundary walls and seems to have taken a leap back in time!
Next stop-off point is Denice with lunch in restaurant featuring a scenic terrace and tasting menu of the Piedmontese tradition with the famous “ravioli al plin”.
Followed by walk around the village, an open-air museum of contemporary pottery, with 63 works of international artists embedded in the façades of the homes. Visit the Church of San Lorenzo, built from a chapel which was part of the ancient castle: the interior features frescoes from the late 15th to the early 16th century: Saints Lucia, Apollonia and Agata are joined by Sant’ Antonio Abate. Possibility to climb up the 29m tower which overlooks the village to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Bormida Valley after walking up 100 steps.
Last stop-off point of the day is Bistagno with a visit to the Monteverde Plaster Cast Gallery where the works document the important stages of the artistic work of one of the most important 19th century Italian sculptors who was born here. His intense career, studded by a large quantity of international commissions, connected primarily with sepulchre and celebratory monuments, made him one of the official protagonists of the art of his time. Not-to-be-missed are the Angelo Oneto, Idealità and Materialismo, and Percorso da Fare.
Dinner at leisure and overnight in Bistagno.

day 4
Tip: prepare all your senses for the unique experiences of this day; take photos to create a travel diary which will re-evoke every sensory aspect in time; complete the images with those curiosities which have pleasantly surprised you.

After breakfast, short transfer to Monastero Bormida with its Castle. The building was once a monastery and what is now the tower was the belltower. During the 15th century a first defensive structure was added by the Marquises of Carretto and these were followed by renovations and extensions, such as the arch of the medieval period which joins the castle to the tower.
To access the boundary wall, you cross the beautiful Romanesque humpback bridge. Be careful, as you could meet knights, monks and strange characters along the way!
Lunch in agriturismo for a full immersion in the farming world with cows, horses, baby goats, geese, ducks, donkeys and ponies for children.

The next stop-off point is Loazzolo a municipality of three hundred and fifty people in Alta Langa. The name means “where wolves roam” and it is the smallest Doc in Italy. Here you will fall in love with a truly rare moscato passito but also with the butterflies and wild orchids of the WWF nature reserve of Forteto della Luia, a unique ecosystem to discover with walks in total relaxation.
Tasting experience in winery and walk in Nature Reserve. The orchids bloom between April and June.

The last stop-off point before returning to Bistagno is Cessole with a visit to the Herbalist Shop. It was founded in the early 1940s by Teodoro Negro, known as ‘el setmein’ of Cessole, a herbalist who graduated from the University of Pavia, expert of the properties of plants and their use: today Teodoro’s heirs merge ancient art with modern knowledge. An incredible world of perfumes and weighing scales, where modern alchemists create herbal teas and blends which are beneficial to health. Do not miss a small tour among the medicinal herbs grown directly by the herbalist shop.
Dinner at leisure and overnight in Bistagno.

day 5
Tip: how long has it been since your last picnic? Think of the joy of eating with your hands without the fear of making crumbs, enjoying the magnificent landscape. Everyone will be as happy as children!

Depart for Acqui Terme and arrive in Strevi, a town in Upper Monferrato immersed among the excellent vineyards that produce Moscato wine and Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG and, above all, Passito. Visit winery with tasting experience, walk among the vineyards as far as the yellow Moscato Big Bench and enjoy a picnic in the hills.

Holiday formula:
Individuals, Groups

Guided tour:
No, on request (with supplement)

Direzione Tecnica ViA(E) per Viaggiare
commerciale@viaeperviaggiare.it
www.viaeperviaggiare.it
 

CONFIDENTIAL & B2B RATES: on demand

Technical Directors
Monferrato Travel by Monferrato to Taste (P.IVA 03936680044)
Dafne Viaggi (P.IVA 03463700108)
IC World (P.IVA 09178850013)

* Estimates and availability will be verified and confirmed at the moment of the request.