Asti, city of the palio, a medieval jewel immersed in a territory known for its truffles, mushrooms, gentile hazelnuts, and the great wines of Langhe. Of all the towns in Piedmont, Asti offers visitors one of the most enticing combinations of art, culture, pagentry and traditional festivals. From the central Campo del Palio, the roads snake through the city to Piazza Alfieri, passing by the city's numerous truncated towers, ancient patrician residences such as the Palazzo del Podestà and Palazzo degli Antichi Tribunali, and the remains of the acqueduct built here by the ancient Romans.
Circa thirty kilometers from Asti, in the province of Cuneo, we find Alba, capital of Langhe, famous throughout the world for its white truffles. During the truffle season, the whiff of these precious fungi can be smelt in almost every corner of the town, lingering in the air above streets packed with delicatessen shops and restaurants. Truffles and wine have become the symbols of the town's rural background, celebrated in the International White Truffle Festival (held here every year since 1929) and the numerous festivals organized in occasion of the grape harvest.
The town of Roddi, just south of Alba, is seat of the world's only ''"university" for truffle hunting dogs, institution founded by a citizen of Roddi in 1880 and indication of how, in this part of Piedmont, the truffle business is a decidedly serious one. Principal landmark of this peaceful town, founded in ancient Roman times, is its three floored, two towered castle', perched on the summit of a hill and part of the Castelli Aperti and Castelli DOC circuits''.
Like Roddi, the town of Grinzane Cavour has developed around its Castle. In the early 19th century, the fortress was inhabited by Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, mayor of Grinzane Cavour from 1832 to 1849 and, more importantly, the statesman considered to be the principal architect of the Unification of Italy (Cavour became the new Kingdom of Italy's first prime minister). In the castle's Cavour Relics' room, numerous documents personally penned by Camillo Benso are conserved. Today the castle hosts the prestigious Grinzane Cavour literary prize, an annual cultural event of international importance.
Barolo is not only the name of a small town in Piedmont, but also of the fabulous wine which is produced in the area. The Marquis Falletti of Barolo initiated the production of this full bodied wine, creating the ideal accompaniment for the region's red meat and game dishes and a drink which was much appreciated by the then King, Carlo Alberto. The splendid residence of the Barolo nobles, Falletti Castle, now houses a historical library, once curated by Silvio Pellico, an Ethnographic Museum, and the Barolo Regional Enoteca.
These lands inspired one of Italy's most influential 20th century writers, the Alba-born Beppe Fenoglio, who set his Partisan Johnny in middle Langa, and more precisely in the little town of Mango. The hills of Benevello provided the stage for Fenoglio's seminal work of Italian realism, Ruin, in which he recounts the often extremely brutal struggles of ordinary men and women. In these small towns, once pockets of devastating rural poverty, it is now easy to find any number of old medieval edifices transformed into charming little hotels, restaurants and wineries.
Acqui Terme, a prosperous town rich in parks and gardens in the province of Alessandria, owes much, if not all, of its fortune to the warm sulphuric waters which surface in the form of hot springs in the center of the town and in the surrounding countryside. The Fontana della Bollente, the name of which is an indication of the extremely high temperatures of the water (75°), is situated in the town's main square. Numerous spas and wellness centers have developed in and around Acqui Terme, all of which exploit the town's health inducing waters. In addition to its thermal waters, Acqui Terme is also known for its wine production and, in particular, for its Dolcetto and Brachetto d'Aqui.
