Farigliano between Wine, History and the Tanaro

Farigliano between Vineyards and the Tanaro

Farigliano combines the landscape of the Langhe with viticulture, proximity to the river and historic details in the town. The Tanaro touches the town. A route leads over gentle slopes covered with vineyards and along the badlands overlooking the river’s bends. From the Big Bench No. 2, there is a panorama of the Alps and the plain. Here, landscape, movement and local history stand alongside one another as distinct themes.

Historic Traces in the Townscape

In Località Castello, the ruins of the old Farigliano castle have been preserved. They point to a structure recorded in 1210 as a fortified tower with an adjoining palazzetto. Casa Ballauri preserves a monumental Renaissance fireplace: a large brick hearth covered with ornately worked stucco, above which is a coat of arms set within an elegant garland of leaves. In the historic centre, Via Principe Amedeo is also home to an elegant bifora.

The present-day parish church of San Giovanni Battista preserves a marble aedicule from the former church, which was destroyed in the 1887 earthquake. The late Gothic chapel of San Nicola stands above the town. Its apse still retains painted decorations, including a depiction of Christ Pantocrator. In the Mellea district, on the road to Carrù, stands the Nostra Signora delle Grazie sanctuary, with its elegant red-brick façade.

Bijè and Local Traditions

The Bijè skittles game, native to Farigliano and the Langhe, is a very old tradition and is played exclusively by women in the town’s squares and courtyards. The game uses nine elm-wood skittles: eight are 80 centimetres high, and one is 90 centimetres high. It also involves a 15-centimetre wooden ball called a Ribata.

Wine and Langhe Cuisine

On the sunny slopes of the hills around Farigliano, wines such as Dogliani DOCG made from Dolcetto grapes, as well as larger quantities of Nebbiolo and Barbera, are produced. The Camminata del Gusto is an eight-kilometre hike with ten stops where you can sample dishes from traditional Langhe cuisine. The Festa del Bon Vin celebrates Dolcetto and includes wine tastings as well as guided tours of wineries.

In the first week of December, Farigliano celebrates the Fiera dei Puciu e di San Nicolao. It is dedicated to the medlar, which is harvested unripe and left to ripen in straw. Farigliano’s culinary offerings therefore range from the grape varieties of the hills to a distinctive regional fruit tradition.

Landscape and Paths along the Tanaro

In the Naviante district, a downy oak, Quercus pubescens, is one of Italy’s monumental trees. Its trunk circumference is 410 centimetres and its height is 18 metres. A nature trail begins at the former Farigliano railway station, follows a section of the disused Bra–Ceva railway line and leads to a bend in the Tanaro. The equipped facility “Balconata sul Tanaro” is located there.

More Destinations

For your further selection, you can also discover Cerretto Langhe, Marene, Valdieri, Cuneo, La Morra, Paroldo, Ricca and Vezza D'alba.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.