Living in Piedmont: life in the Granda

Living in Piedmont: 3 good reasons

to choose the Granda for a holiday, for remote working or, why not, to move somewhere with a slower pace of life!

In these few lines, I would like to share some of the reasons why Piedmont is a wonderful place to live—and why, in our opinion, living in the Granda is even more special. The “provincia Granda”, as Piedmontese people call the province of Cuneo, is Italy’s third-largest province. It has been famous since the days of Totò, who proudly declared that he had “done his military service in Cuneo” 🙂

What makes this area so appealing? And why does living in Piedmont, even if only for a holiday, bring such a sense of well-being?

1. Art and culture

The Cuneo area is one of the richest in history and art. Numerous UNESCO heritage sites are scattered across the Granda, and there are no fewer than 153 cultural institutions: museums, historic houses, art galleries, castles, natural, archaeological and feudal sites, palaces and villas, ecomuseums, churches, chapels and abbeys. Every town has its own history and art, imaginative legends and entertaining anecdotes. In the Granda, you never stop learning!

Here is my personal list of places you can visit and enjoy even during a long weekend:

• ALBA – Federico Eusebio Museum of History and Archaeology

This civic and archaeological museum was completely renovated in 2000. It is in the historic centre, next to the Church of the Maddalena. Its objects and artefacts evoke the splendour of Alba, the city of a Hundred Towers, and include finds from Roman Alba Pompeia. Its 21 exhibition rooms are divided into three main sections: prehistory, Roman archaeology and natural sciences.

INFO: Open the brochure for full details.

• BENE VAGIENNA – Civic Archaeological Museum

  The Archaeological Museum of Bene Vagienna uses its finds to recount life in the Roman town founded by Emperor Augustus, probably towards the end of the first century BC, in the Tanaro Valley. The museum is housed in Palazzo Lucerna di Rorà, where an upstairs room displays finds discovered by the history enthusiasts and scholars Assandria and Vacchetta.
  INFO: Palazzo Lucerna di Rorà: Via Roma, 125 – tel. +39 0172 654152 – www.archea.info – info@archea.info

• CARAGLIO – The Filatoio, or Silk Mill Museum

  Built between 1676 and 1678 by the entrepreneur Galleani, it still bears witness to the traditional craft of silk spinning. Caraglio’s Filatoio Rosso has a regular layout around its inner courtyards, with towers standing out on either side of the façade. It is well worth a visit.
  INFO: Via Matteotti, 40 – tel. +39 0171 610258 – www.filatoiocaraglio.it – info@fondazionefilatoio.it

• ELVA – Museo dei Cavié, Museo di Pels, Hair Museum

  This enchanting village is not easy to reach, but a group of young people is working to breathe new life into it (read our article about it). Here you will find the Casa della Meridiana, a fine example of mountain architecture with a beautiful sundial on its south-facing façade. The building houses the Museo di Pels, which reconstructs the various stages of hair processing and preserves accounts, photographs, images and commercial documents relating to the trade.
  INFO: Casa della Meridiana, Borgata Serre – tel. +39 340 9846508

• MONDOVÌ – Ceramics Museum

  First of all, Mondovì deserves a visit in its own right. Here is another blog article about the Monregalese area. The museum displays more than 600 ceramic pieces in spacious rooms, while around 2,000 more can also be viewed in storage. The collection was inherited from Marco Levi (1910–2001), the last owner of the “Vedova Besio e figlio” factory, and Carlo Baggioli.
  INFO: Piazza Maggiore, 1 – +39 0174 330358 (Mondovì tourist office) – www.museoceramicamondovi.it – iatmondovi@cuneoholiday.com – info@museoceramicamondovi.it

2. Food and wine

Hundreds of wineries and wine estates are scattered across the Granda, with important names in the Langhe and Roero including Ceretto, Borgogno, Fontanafredda and many others.

The Granda’s terroir allows producers to create outstanding wines, including the great Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

The area hosts numerous wine events throughout the year, the best known undoubtedly being Vinum. Depending on the season, however, every village and town organises its own fairs and festivals.

One of Italy’s most important events is the White Truffle Fair, held every year in Alba during October. Farm stays and restaurants serving traditional Piedmontese cuisine—one of Italy’s finest—are also extremely popular.

There is no shortage of Michelin-starred restaurants, such as the three-star Piazza Duomo in Alba, the two-star Antica Corona Reale near Cuneo and the two-star La Madernassa in Guarene.

But many trattorias and restaurants also offer exceptional hospitality and excellent traditional dishes.

3. Leisure time

The Granda offers countless ways to enjoy your free time in complete relaxation.

• Hiking in the mountains or among the vineyards (walking tours)
• Piedmont’s mountains: skiing on the snow-covered slopes of Limone and Prato Nevoso
• Horse riding through the beautiful Langhe hills or in Alta Langa (horse-riding tours)
• Exploring the hills by bike—or by e-bike, if you prefer an easier ride (bike tours)
• Water activities such as rafting and canoeing

The many spas across the area are also very popular, and many regularly offer complete health and wellness programmes. There are also cinemas, gyms, swimming pools and theatres. One of the most innovative projects is the Big Bench initiative: giant colourful benches scattered across the Granda, with dedicated tours that take you in search of them.

In short, you will never be bored in the province of Cuneo. Every village and town in the Granda offers at least one good reason to visit.

And if you spend part of your working life working remotely, the choice is simple: combine remote working with Slow Food and enjoy plenty of Slow Days. That is a winning recipe!

There are many more reasons to live in the province of Cuneo, an extraordinary area full of beauty waiting to be discovered. If you are passing through, write to us and we will help you explore this wonderful region!