Mombaruzzo between fortress history, wine trails and amaretti

Mombaruzzo reveals its history not only through individual buildings, but also through gates, towers, churches and squares. At the same time, trails lead through Borgo Castello, forests and vineyards; amaretti and visits to local producers add enjoyable accents. If you would like to shape your stay around your interests, culture, activities, landscape and regional specialties can be clearly combined.

Fortress, churches and local history

Porta Merlera marks the former entrance, with a drawbridge, to the original fortress of Mombaruzzo, which belonged to the Marquises of Monferrat. It thus provides a vivid gateway to the town’s medieval past.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena is a three-nave parish church made of terracotta. Its façade recalls the Romanesque style and probably originated from a single-nave building dating from the early 14th century.

The fountain in Platea Castri has a medieval foundation. It stands at the site that was once the centre of the castle square and the heart of the Ricetto.

The Torre Civica is a Gothic tower from the mid-13th century. It served as a watchtower and was also used as a prison in the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate is a national monument. It developed from a Benedictine cell with an adjoining monastery into a late Gothic church and later received Baroque additions.

The Chiesa del Presepio is a rural church among the forests. It was rebuilt in 1676 on the site of an earlier Romanesque building.

The former Asilo San Luigi houses the Museo del Territorio Giuseppe “Pinino” Nota. It displays local tools and equipment, a reconstruction of a classroom from the beginning of the 20th century, as well as ornithological specimens.

The Convento di Santa Maria di Gesù was founded either in 1456 or 1466. The complex included a cloister, a church, a bell tower and defensive walls three metres high.

Trails through the village, forest and vineyards

The CAI trail leads through the medieval-looking Borgo Castello of Mombaruzzo and onward to the Bosco delle Sorti – La Communa protected area. The route thus connects the townscape with a protected landscape.

In the section near the Rio Secco, typical Pliocene layers are visible: yellow-red sands lie above layers of clay. In addition to its landscape perspective, the trail therefore also has a geological dimension.

There is an equipped picnic area at the Chiesa del Presepio. Since the 19th century, nativity scenes with sometimes large figures have been set up there, giving the site both a natural and a cultural connection.

Wine, tastings and regional specialties

At Distillerie Berta, the visitor experience includes a tour among operating stills, a visit to the museum and the three ageing cellars, as well as a guided tasting of its own products with Amaretti di Mombaruzzo.

Tre Secoli’s Walking Tour begins at 9:00 a.m. with pick-up at the winery in Mombaruzzo and a welcome drink. At 11:40 a.m., a short factory visit follows there, with the opportunity to buy wines; this concludes the tour.

La Strada del Brachetto is a cycling tour through vineyards that begins in Mombaruzzo. For planning an active day, this provides a route explicitly connected with the town.

Mombaruzzo’s large swing was inaugurated at a viewpoint in July 2023. From there, the view extends over the surrounding hills to the Alps and Monviso.

Soft amaretti are an artisanal Piedmontese product and a well-known specialty of Mombaruzzo. Their production is protected by a collective trademark that includes exclusively producers based in this town.

The traditional origin story of Amaretti di Mombaruzzo links their creation to Francesco Moriondo and a young pastry chef from Sicily, who opened a pastry shop in Moriondo’s hometown.

Discover more destinations here: San Paolo Solbrito, Nizza Monferrato, Baglio, Villafranca D'asti, Aramengo, Calliano, Gorra, Montemagno.

To the overview of the broader travel area: Asti.