Discover Monforte De Alba: Historic Centre, Wine and Trails

Historic centre with its own rhythm

Monforte d'Alba reveals its historic character particularly clearly in the town centre. It is arranged in a fan shape around the old bell tower, while the medieval lanes rise steeply. If you explore the town on foot, this topography sets the pace and makes the sequence of lanes, square and tower immediately tangible. A guided tour through the historic centre ends at the Panchina Gigante #12.

Architecture between the Middle Ages and Baroque

The Palazzo Scarampi was built after 1706 on the site of an earlier manor house and renovated in 1833. The Chiesa delle Umiliate was built towards the end of the 17th century in the Baroque style by Carlo Francesco del Carretto di Monforte. A covered passage connects the church with the Palazzo Scarampi. The small Baroque Oratorio di Santa Elisabetta preserves its original appearance in its rear section and is integrated into the surrounding urban structure.

The Torre Campanaria is the last surviving evidence of the former parish church of Santa Maria. This church was already mentioned in a document from 1223 and was demolished in the second decade of the 20th century. The church of Madonna della Neve is Neo-Gothic and has a Latin-cross floor plan. The Oratorio di Sant'Agostino e di San Bonifacio is a Baroque church of the Brotherhood of the White Penitents and probably dates from the late 17th century.

Art, museums and music

The Biblioteca Pinacoteca Mario Lattes houses a large part of Mario Lattes's art collection, library and personal archive. The library contains around 15,000 volumes, which can be consulted during opening hours. In the Museo Martina, a museum tour through six rooms traces the life, experiences and interests of Paolo Domenico Martina.

Music also has a permanent venue in the historic centre: the Auditorium Horszowski occupies part of the small amphitheatre in the historic square and hosts jazz concerts. This combines the historic setting with a clearly defined cultural experience.

Wine landscape and regional impressions

Monforte d'Alba is part of the UNESCO landscape component La Langa del Barolo. Prunotto's visitor experience offers a concrete introduction to the world of wine: it includes a visit to the Vigna Colonnello and the amphitheatre-shaped vineyard of Bussia, followed by a visit to the wine cellar. The guided tour by Rocche dei Manzoni focuses on discovering the terroirs of Monforte d'Alba.

Trails through the municipal area

Five trails start from the centre of Monforte and lead through the municipal area. Stage 5A of the Bar to Bar route runs from Serralunga d'Alba via Castiglione Falletto to Monforte. Stage 6 leaves Monforte on paved roads towards Barolo. The two stages therefore differ clearly in their described routes and provide different points of reference for planning your own trip.

Plan your library visit

If you would like to visit the Biblioteca Pinacoteca Mario Lattes, opening hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 09:00 to 13:00 and Wednesdays from 14:00 to 18:00.

More destinations

For further travel comparisons, you can also view these places at the same destination level: Venasca, Gorzegno, Casalgrasso, Ceresole Alba, Montezemolo, Saluzzo, Moretta and Monchiero.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.