What is the Monferrato and where is it?
It is the hill country between Turin, Asti and Casale Monferrato, north of the Langhe and Roero, traditionally divided into Lower Monferrato (towards the Po and Casale) and Upper Monferrato (towards Acqui). Since 2014 it has been part, with the Langhe and Roero, of the UNESCO site of Piedmont's Vineyard Landscapes: one of the six components is precisely "The Monferrato of the Infernot". The wines are Barbera d'Asti and del Monferrato, Grignolino, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, Malvasia di Casorzo and, on the Turin side, Freisa di Chieri.
First stop: Chieri and the Freisa hills
Ten minutes from Pino Torinese, Chieri is the gateway to the Turin Monferrato: the Gothic cathedral, the church of San Domenico, the arcades of the centre and, all around, the vineyards of Freisa di Chieri, the red wine of the Turin hill. A coffee in piazza Cavour and you head east along the hill road through Castelnuovo Don Bosco and the Colle Don Bosco, with the basilica and the places of the saint's childhood.
Cocconato, Moncalvo and the giant benches
Cocconato is one of the prettiest villages of the Asti Monferrato, perched around its Gothic town hall with views stretching to the Alps; nearby stands one of the giant benches of the Big Bench Community Project, the oversized coloured seats designed by Chris Bangle and scattered across Piedmont's viewpoints: there are dozens between Monferrato, Langhe and Roero, and children hunt them like treasure. Continue to Moncalvo, which calls itself Italy's smallest city, with its civic museum and, in October, the national white truffle fair (18, 24 and 25 October in 2026).
The Sacro Monte di Crea
On a wooded hilltop between Moncalvo and Casale, the Sacro Monte di Crea is one of the nine Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy recognised by UNESCO: a devotional path of twenty-three chapels with statues and frescoes climbing through the woods to the sanctuary and the Paradise chapel, on the highest point, from which on clear days you see the whole Alpine arc. The walk between the chapels takes a good hour and is the right stop for a picnic lunch; there are hill trattorias nearby.
The infernot of Cella Monte and Vignale
The infernot are small cellars dug by hand into the pietra da cantoni, a sedimentary stone soft to work and hard once exposed to air, beneath the houses of the Casale villages: with no windows or ventilation, they keep temperature and humidity constant all year and were used to store the best bottles. Dozens are recorded across Cella Monte, Rosignano, Ozzano, Vignale, Camagna, Frassinello, Olivola, Ottiglio and Sala Monferrato. Almost all are private: they are visited by appointment through the Ecomuseo della Pietra da Cantoni in Cella Monte, in the historic Palazzo Volta, which arranges visits on Fridays and Saturdays by booking and opens on Sundays. In Vignale Monferrato, the cellars of Palazzo Callori hold one of the most famous infernot; for a tasting, the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato is in Casale, inside the Paleologi castle, and rounds off the afternoon nicely.
Casale Monferrato
The historic capital of the Monferrato deserves the last hour of light: the cathedral of Sant'Evasio, Lombard Romanesque with its narthex and silver crucifix, the civic tower, the Paleologi castle on the Po and the Synagogue with its Jewish museum, among the finest in Italy. From Casale back to Pino Torinese takes little more than an hour via Asti and the motorway, or you can retrace the hills at sunset.
How long does it take and how to plan?
The full loop Pino Torinese – Chieri – Cocconato – Moncalvo – Crea – Cella Monte – Vignale – Casale – Pino is about 170 kilometres and fits comfortably into a day if you leave after breakfast; if you want to see the infernot, book ahead with the Ecomuseo. Alternatively, split it into two half days: the Asti Monferrato (Chieri, Cocconato, Asti with the Torre Troyana and the cathedral) and the Casale Monferrato (Crea, infernot, Casale). On the weekend of the Asti Palio, in September, and on those of the Moncalvo truffle fair, in October, the village roads are busier than usual.
Where to stay between Turin and the Monferrato?
On the Pino Torinese hill, on the ridge facing the Chieri plain: Paradise – Nature & Wellness is a family-run B&B with two independent units, Mansarda Paradise with two bedrooms and a hot tub for up to eight guests, and The Green Space, ninety square metres with a kitchen and garden for up to six, pet friendly. Breakfast and parking included. Central Turin is 10–15 minutes away, the Monferrato begins on the other side of the hill: it is the base for doing both without changing beds. For tips on Monferrato wineries and trattorias, and for availability, write to Lidia on WhatsApp: +39 338 993 03 39.
Book directly on WhatsApp, breakfast and parking included.
