Langhe Big benches: a fashion born of a brilliant idea!
Would you like to admire a beautiful view while sitting on a big bench in the Langhe? We should talk about Piedmont’s Big Benches, but it is mainly in the Langhe Monferrato and Roero area that beautiful giant benches, the Big Bench, have been popping up for a few years.
So much so that it could be a lot of fun to plan a tour of the big benches of the Langhe by car, Vespa, or Ebike… stopping along the way for a picnic in the vineyards or a tasting in a winery.
The Big Benches were created in 2010 by American designer Chris Bangle, who made the first giant bench in Clavesana with a group of friends. The idea behind the project was as simple as it was fabulous: go back to childhood and look at the immense panorama of the Langhe with children’s eyes.
An actual project was born from this simple and brilliant idea: The Big Bench Community Project, a non-profit association designed to promote the territory.
With this in mind, Bangle’s Big Benches seem to have been built specifically to sit on and finally admire this land’s beauty. These large, brightly colored benches are located in evocative places in the Langhe landscape, off the beaten track, making them a fun way to organize an unforgettable tour of the Langhe. This treasure hunt does bring us back to childhood.
To make the hunt for the bench even more fun, the BBC has created an authentic passport with a photo and personalized stamp for each installation. It is a booklet on which you can stamp each bench you visit, a collector’s album.
Langhe Giant Benches Tour
With this electric bike tour, you can discover the most beautiful villages of the Langhe, ride through the vineyards and discover giant benches!
Where to find Big Benches? Giant Benches of the Langhe
Below is a list of the Big Benches in the Langhe (you can also check out the official website if you wish ). For convenience, I have listed them grouped by area. They are constantly being updated, and as I publish this article, new entries will have arrived on the list!
Giant Benches in the Langhe of Barolo
- 6. MONFORTE GRAMOLERE (ex Santa Rosalia d’Alba)
- 12. MONFORTE
- 13. DOGLIANI
- 24. MOASCA
- 63. SINIO
If you are wondering if there are also giant benches in La Morra, that beautiful village now among the most visited in the Langhe, the answer is NI! The La Morra Giant Bench is off the Big Benches circuit but is still one of the colorful benches in the Langhe. A beautiful red bench in the Langhe overlooks a spectacular valley of vineyards! You always find young and old climbing it to get their picture taken. I’m telling you about it because I pass by it often.
Giant benches around Alba … and the surroundings
Would you also like to know if there are giant benches in Alba, the capital of the Langhe? The answer is no! Maybe it’s because the creator of the Langhe big benches circuit aimed to enhance small, somewhat hidden villages, or maybe it’s because the real magic is in getting lost in the hills to look for them… I’ll leave you with the ones that are around Alba and that you can think about reaching during a Weekend in the Langhe
- 14. ALBA – LOC. Scaparoni
- 23. NEIVE
- 26. COAZZOLO
- 65. DIANO D’ALBA
- 100. MONTELUPO ALBESE
Colored Benches in the Langhe Monregalesi.
Here we are around Clavesana, where the project was born
- 1. CLAVESANA BORGATA GORREA
- 2. FARIGLIANO
- CLAVESANA BORGATA PALAZZETTO
- 4. CLAVESANA LO SBARANZO
- 7. CARRU’
- 8. PIOZZO
- 43. CIGLIE’
Big Bench in the Langhe Cebane
- 11. ARGUELLO
- 16. NIELLA BELBO
- 28. CEVA
- 34. SANTO STEFANO BELBO
- 44. PAROLDO
- 85. SAN BENEDETTO BELBO
- 115. VALPRATO SOANA
We recommend that you visit the beautiful and fun giant benches during the week or at non-central times to enjoy them “properly,” climb on top (or, in some cases, rise with the steps available), and enjoy peace.
Don’t forget to stop by some local store, restaurant, or bar…giant benches are meant to promote the area, not “invade” it!
Benches in the Roero: a partial list to help you explore this beautiful area as well
- 5. VEZZA D’ALBA
- 47. CANALE
- 157. CASTELLINALDO D’ALBA
- 167. MONTA’ D’ALBA
One of our favorite Hen Party tours? Benches on a Vespa
Size Giant Bench: Do you want a colorful bench in the garden, too?
Big Benches or Giant Benches are a giant reproduction of the benches you usually find in a Public Park. They are colorful benches, and the colors have become many over time.
The size of the Bench, to be approved, must comply with specific rules. It has a measurement of about 3.50 by 2 meters.
The purpose is to make you feel like Gulliver when he arrives in the imaginary land in Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver, exploring the land, finds an area where the inhabitants are more than 20 meters tall. There, they probably had colored Benches the size of Big Benches!
Do you want to install a colorful Bench that represents your dream activity?
Private funds and volunteer labor fund the Big Bench Community Project initiative. Forward your request to this address: www.bigbenchcommunityproject.org. If you have met the requirements, you will receive a response and can proceed with the installation. Send me a picture, and I will highlight you in this article.
Giant benches and how to find them…simple with our bench tours with a custom map!
Giant Benches, Vespa Tour!
A tour of the Giant Benches by Vespa – Two possible formulas
A walking tour to get to a bench? Yes, but with tasting at the end!
You will find the red bench in La Morra that is not part of the “official” tour.
Walk in Langhe with visit and tasting in a winery
A beautiful walk in the heart of Langhe around La Morra. Final lunch in the winery and visit to the Barolo chapel
I have put together a little tour for you, through which you will get to know some of the villages in the Langhe and also see with your own eyes the splendid big benches of the Langhe! Come on, read on, and get on board my virtual car! On the hunt for big bars?
THE BIG BENCHES OF THE LANGHE: MONFORTE. It is a beautiful little village in the Langhe, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy (let’s not forget that!) and has recently been included among the orange flags. There are two benches in Monforte, one precisely in the center of the village, in a beautiful burgundy color reminiscent of a good glass of Barolo. It reminds us that Monforte is one of the 12 municipalities that produce the highly prized Barolo wine. To find the second big bench, we must go to a small hamlet, Perno di Monforte. Nearby, you will find La Repubblica di Perno; we recommend it without any doubt! Climb onto the magenta-red bench (or fuchsia, as you like!) and slow down for 5 minutes…. then why not take a break in a nice Langa osteria?
THE LANGHE BIG BENCHES: DIANO AND MONTELUPO. From the Barolo zone, we move on to the Dolcetto zone. We find two benches within a short distance of each other: one in Diano d’Alba and the other in Montelupo Albese, the first red and the second yellow. Both enjoy an extraordinary view in all seasons, and we recommend them, especially around sunset time. The red one is located near a small winery famous for producing Dolcetto. In contrast, the yellow one is close to an excellent farmhouse that offers typical menus with an excellent quality/price ratio. The small villages of Diano and Montelupo are worth a visit: in Diano, don’t miss the Belvedere, and in Montelupo, choose to stroll through the old town with its murals.
THE CANALE BIG BENCH. We are on the Giaconi Hill at Madonna dei Cavalli in Canale, where all present admiringly view a natural terrace of vineyards. It has one of the most recently inaugurated benches! The bench is pink, feminine, and delicate, just like the Canale writer Andreina Tarasco, who promoted the construction of this structure.
BIG BENCH IN VEZZA D’ALBA. Have you ever driven past the so-called “Torion”? It is located in the hamlet of Borbore, and there are plenty of signs to reach it. don’t worry! The path is pleasant to walk along; the first part is asphalted, and the actual dirt road begins. When you reach the top, at its foot, you can read a notice board, which tells its curious story: the “Torion” is, in fact, a hexagonal building; it was built in 1932 to serve as a country ciabòt. Unfortunately, it was bombed during the Second World War, and the large open holes still prove the terrible episode. Next to it, an elegant white bench has been installed from which to admire the landscape. A plaque with a lovely Piedmontese proverb has been affixed to the bar, which says:
Go for benches in the Langa!
“Si t’avèissi da manca
I’d pull ‘n’ ér fià,
you’ll be on your way and…
you’ll feel like a man again”.
Do you need a translation??
BIG BENCH OF DOGLIANI. Famous for its excellent wine, Dogliani DOCG, the village is also known for its giant two-colored bench near the Castle. Reaching the bar is easy: you can walk through the center of the town and then take the road that leads to the Castle. As you go up, you can observe the village more and more from above until you reach the top of the road, from which you can admire the roof of the characteristic town. The bench’s official colors are brick red and copper blue, echoing some of the village’s most famous works. The brick red refers to the results of the architect Giovanni Battista Schellino (1818-1905) (for example, the gothic entrance to the cemetery of Dogliani), while the copper blue is typical of the dome of the church of Santi Quirico e Paolo, designed by Schellino himself.
I want to give you some more helpful information on the big benches of the Langhe. First, it is indispensable to have your means of transport. We offer tours by Ebike or Vespa, an excellent way to discover the most beautiful giant benches. Your car might be a good idea, too, but what about the sense of freedom that the wind in your hair can give you?
Apart from this, in our opinion, the colorful Langhe benches are an excellent excuse to visit the most beautiful landscapes of the Langhe… they are all in beautiful locations and between one bench and another we certainly recommend that you stop off in the small villages you will come across, such as Neive, La Morra, Mango and then those of the upper Langa such as Niella Belbo or Paroldo. You could plan an entire weekend in the Langhe in search of big benches. it would be a great way to get the kids involved, don’t you think?
Another opportunity to visit the big benches of the Langhe? Bachelorette and stag parties, of course!
To give a touch of originality to the celebrations, organize an excellent tour of the benches on a Vespa or Ebike! It will be super fun!
In this article, we talked about the Langhe Big Benches, but there are also Big Benches in other areas of Piedmont!
So let’s add some helpful information on the Monferrato big benches.
Monferrato is a vast area bordering the Langhe and reaching as far as the provinces of Asti and Alessandria.
There are also many big benches, perhaps even more than in the Langhe, but as I said before. We’ve lost count!!!
Let’s talk about the ones we know and like very much! Let’s put a photo for each one, and we assure you it’s worth it!
Costigliole d'Asti big bench
Which of Monferrato’s marvelous big benches have you already visited? Which one did you like the most?
Write it in the comments!
In any case, this article doesn’t end here. Visit us from time to time to discover our new tours of the big benches of Piedmont!
Costigliole d'Asti big bench
Piedmont giant benches: I give you a list!
Outside the Langhe area there is a long list of benches to see and discover. Let’s say that Piedmont was the first region to understand and develop this innovative project. Here I leave you with a list that, as I have told you several times now, is constantly being updated.
- 9. PRATO NEVOSO
- 10. CASTELNUOVO CALCEA
- 17-18. COSTIGLIOLE D’ASTI
- 19. LIMONE
- 20. COSTIGLIOLE SALUZZO
- 21. STREVI
- 22. MONCHIERO
- 25. FONTANILE
- 27. CARAGLIO
- 29. BRIAGLIA
- 30. CANELLI
- 31. CHIUSA DI PESIO
- 33. PEVERAGNO
- 35. GATTINARA
- 36. ROBILANTE
- 37. VINADIO
- 38. CASTELNUOVO DON BOSCO
- 39. MOIOLA
- 40. FOSSANO
- 41. ROSIGNANO MONFERRATO
- 42. CASSINASCO
- 45. MERANA
- 48. SALA MONFERRATO
- 49. ONCINO
- 50. MONASTERO DI VASCO
- 51. CASTAGNOLE MONFERRATO
- 52. SAMPEYRE – FRAZ.RORE
- 54. NIELLA TANARO
- 57. MORNESE
- 59. SAN MARTINO ALFIERI
- 60. TONCO
- 61. PASSERANO MARMORITO
- 62. ALICE BEL COLLE
- 64. MONASTEROLO CASOTTO
- 66. BISTAGNO
- 67. VIOLA
- 68. CALLIANO
- 69. VILLA SAN SECONDO
- 70. SAN MICHELE MONDOVI
- 78. MONASTEROLO CAFASSE
- 81. CASTEL BOGLIONE
- 82. FRABOSA SOPRANA -FONTANE
- 84. BOSIO
- 87. CASTELNUOVO BELBO
- 90. ARAMENGO
- 91. GRAZZANO BADOGLIO
- 92. SAN SALVATORE MONFERRATO
- 94. VINCHIO
- 95. MONTABONE
- 98. LU
- 99. CUCCARO
- 102. USSEAUX
- 103. FENESTRELLE – PEQUEREL
- 104. RICALDONE
- 105. BAGNOLO PIEMONTE
- 107. VIGNALE MONFERRATO
- 112. PIETRAPORZIO
- 113. ODALENGO GRANDE
- 117. CAMINO MONFERRATO
- 119. CAMAGNA MONFERRATO
- 120. POMARETTO
- 121. PIANFEI
- 123. VIGNOLO
- 127. PRATO SESIA
- 129. CASASCO
- 130. BARENGO
- 133. FUBINE MONFERRATO
- 134. MONCUCCO TORINESE
- 135. CASSINELLE
- 138. TRAREGO VIGGIONA
- 141. MELLE
- 142. GIAGLIONE
- 143. PEROSA ARGENTINA
- 144. CAPRIGLIO
- 145. MONTALTO DORA
- 146. OLIVOLA
- 147. CALUSO
- 148. ALFIANO NATTA
- 151. CERRETO D’ASTI
- 152. MEZZENILE
- 155. ANDRATE
- 156. COCCONATO
- 158. CAVOUR
- 159. PINASCA
- 171. VERRUA SAVOIA
- 172. POZZOL GROPPO
- 174. LOCANA
- 175. LEVONE
- 177. FERRERE
- 179. BRUZOLO
- 183. VILLAR PEROSA
- 184. BORGOFRANCO D’IVREA
- 186. CRODO
- 187. VIVERONE
- 188. BALME
- 189. MUZZANO
191. CASTIGLIONE TINELLA - 196. MONTALDO TORINESE
- 204. CASTELL’ALFERO
- 205. GARESSIO
- 207. SCALENGHE
- 209. BORGORATTO ALESSANDRINO
- 210. BENE VAGIENNA
And then, to conclude, even abroad, curiosity has been infected by the colorful wave of the Giant Benches, born in the Langhe!
The growth has been steady since the project saw the light of day in the village of Clavesana in 2010. First, many colorful replicas were born in the Langhe area. Then they came to Monferrato.
Piedmont embraced the idea and created one in every scenic corner. Hence, the leap across regions. If you look at the map of benches, you will now see them in all areas of Italy. And that’s still not enough; no one will stop them!
Here is a list, undoubtedly partial, of some “foreign” benches
- 56. ARBROATH (SCOTLAND/UK)
- 169. BIEGANòW (POLONIA)
- 193. FUNASDALEN – TANNDALEN (SVEZIA)
- 197. PLASGLASGWM – CYMRU (GALLES / UK)
- 199. SANT JORDI DESVALLS (SPAGNA)
Questions and curiosities about Giant Benches
How big are the giant benches?
You need to request and download the design for your bench to get the exact measurements. They are about 8 feet, 8 feet high and 10 feet wide. A dozen people can sit and admire the view. But. While also respecting the enjoyment of others who would like to climb up!
Where can I find the updated map with all the benches?
You can find it on the official website of the Big Bench Project. And precisely at this address: Updated Bench Map
How many benches could I visit in one day?
It depends on many factors. On the area, the vehicle you use, and whether you want to experience Slow. We organize Bike Tours (where you will arrive at five benches) and Vespa Tours (where we will give you a route to visit six).
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