woods. For this, our hills are particularly suitable for lovers of nature in its unspoilt state. For such people, the area offers a wide range of opportunities. Sul Po, the area either side of the river between Verrua and Coniolo (the place that adjoins what was once the capital of Monferrato : Casale) you can go down the river by kayak, canoe or raft. About threeand-a-half hours of gentle descent will allow you to see the most unspoilt and most beautiful stretch of all of the more than 600 miles of Italy’s greatest river. The banks of the Po River have for many years been a park where can be seen a number of animal species : herons, cormorants, peregrine falcons, foxes, badgers, pheasants, hares, wild boars and many more. For those who love trekking on horseback or mountain bike, the hills are criss-crossed by many tracks and trails that connect neighbouring villages, where you can usually find a bar, café or restaurant to stop for refreshment. But that's not all you will find in our hills. Our communities in fact form a kind of large metropolitan area, as if a city had exploded into a thousand villages, each with its own specialty. For example, Odalengo Piccolo residents can visit an astronomical observatory where on summer evenings you can dine outdoors and watch the stars. At a small theatre at Pontestura, along with larger ones in Casale and Moncalvo, you may be able to see a play or comedy, ideal for anyone who understands Italian, or hear various types of music, whether jazz, rock, blues, or folk. Throughout the summer on practically every weekend each of these communities organise events with outdoor performances. There are also museums dedicated to subjects as diverse as alpine life, the Carabinieri and little-known painters. Often unknown or poorly advertised, often realized by individuals through years of patient work, they are unique of their kind. But should you want to visit larger or more
famous museums, note that Milan and Turin are little more than an hour away by car, Genova a little further. These are but a few of the many reasons to visit our region and the activities you can undertake whilst staying at any of the small but numerous hotels, guest-houses and residencies that cater for tourists; alternatively, for those who wish to more fully explore and appreciate the all that this “Well of God” offers, you may consider purchasing one of the many old farmhouses that are for sale, which you can remodel according to your tastes, or one of the smaller properties more suited to holiday use. It is worth considering that the economic crisis that Italy is currently experiencing may be especially beneficial in this respect. You can be assured that our small but active Association, which remember has no economic purpose, solely a cultural one, will help you and will give you all useful advice for visiting Monferrato as tourists, or better still as prospective fellow residents should you decide to move to our region, a land that for centuries has been appreciated by “visitors” as diverse as the ancient Romans, the Germanic peoples and those "barbarian" tribes who came and in time assimilated, together with the many foreign nationals who have already moved here. It is no coincidence that one of the best wines produced in our region is called Barbera! (from Barbarian) In this special issue of our magazine, which we wanted to produce in English for your benefit, you will find plenty of useful information should you decide to accept our invitation. You will find the names of B & B, guest-houses and hotels suitable for a short or long
Barbera Grapes
holiday, but there's also details of a number of properties with gardens and associated land seeking a buyer who will be able to dedicate their time to not only renovating the buildings, but to restoring ornamental gardens, vegetable gardens and orchards. Among our partners there are estate agents and companies offering technical services that will support you and will assist you not simply for their own commercial benefit, but also because they love this region and through your satisfaction they know that many others will, perhaps, come on your recommendation. Below : Traditional festival of the Leva. Every year young people who reach 18 years of age celebrate accompanied by a brass band (shown in the photo) inviting all local people to partake of refreshment in the homes of the celebrants.
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