PIEDMONT Experience

A whole week in Piedmont entirely dedicated to discovering artistic and also gastronomic excellence. Your clients are g0ing to really “taste” our region!

 

Day 1: LAND OF RICE / TURIN

Arrival of the group, transfer to Lucedio to visit the Abbey of Santa Maria di Lucedio, founded in 1123 by Cistercian monks who reclaimed the land and introduced rice cultivation in the early 15th century – the first in Italy. Over time, thanks to its strategic location along the Via Francigena, the Abbey became a thriving center of economic and political power: three Popes visited it. The tour includes the areas where the monks and lay brothers lived (the cloister, the chapter hall, the refectory), as well as the agricultural estate. During the visit, the focus will be on rice, its cultivation, and its evolution over the centuries.
Lunch inside the complex (Two types of risotto / dessert / water / wine and coffee).
Continuation towards Turin, check-in at the reserved hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: TURIN CAPITAL OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY

Breakfast at the hotel, meeting with the guide, and beginning of the walking tour of the historic center, starting from Piazza Carlo Felice, the elegant Via Roma, Piazza San Carlo, the “beautiful Turin lounge.” Continuation of the visit to the historic Piazza Castello for an overview and a presentation of the city.
Free lunch.
Meeting with the guides and visit the Royal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and the historic residence of the House of Savoy, which governed the fate of Turin for over three centuries. A succession of luxury, gold, and precious stones blend together in salons and bedrooms of unmatched Baroque beauty. The visit will also include the Royal Armoury and the Chapel by Guarino Guarini, recently reopened after a long and difficult restoration!
After the visit, a delightful conclusion at Caffè Reale for the Turinese Merenda, a tradition dating back to the 18th century at the Savoy court, designed to curb the appetite of the nobles at the time. The main star of this delicious moment is, of course, chocolate (as it should be in Turin), served with other specialties from the Piedmontese tradition.
Return to the hotel in Turin, dinner, and overnight stay.

Day 3: SACRA DI SAN MICHELE / VENARIA REALE PALACE

Breakfast at the hotel, departure by bus towards the entrance of the Val di Susa for an interesting guided tour of Sacra di San Michele, one of the most fascinating and impressive monuments in Piedmont. Founded between 983 and 987 on Mount Pirchiriano (900 meters high), it became one of the most important Benedictine monasteries in the Middle Ages, serving as a resting point for pilgrims passing through the valley.
Free lunch.
In the afternoon, a guided tour of the Baroque Royal Palace of the Savoys, a symbol of splendor, prestige, and magnificence, and its recently restored rooms: the grand hall, the Diana Gallery, and the Church of Saint Umberto. The visit to the Royal Palace of Venaria is enriched by a series of highly evocative multimedia inserts, designed by famous director Peter Greenaway.
Walk in the gardens.
Transfer to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay in Turin.

Day 4: ALBA & LANGHE TOUR

Breakfast at the hotel, departure by private bus, meeting with the guide and tour of Alba, undisputed capital of wine and food! Optional free time and continuation to Rodello for an amazing Langhe-style lunch.
In the afternoon, evocative tour of the Langhe hills to admire its colours.
Transfer to the hotel in Turin, free dinner, and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 5: AOSTA & FORT OF BARD

Breakfast at the hotel, departure by private bus towards the Aosta Valley. Guided tour of Aosta: the Arch of Augustus, the symbol of the city, the Praetorian Gate, one of the best-preserved Roman gates in the world, the Roman Theatre, and the Collegiate Church of Sant’Orso. Lunch in a restaurant with local Aosta Valley dishes, during the excursion.
In the afternoon, guided tour to the Fort of Bard, which has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. It is one of the best examples of early 19th-century defensive fortifications.
Transfer to the hotel in Turin, free dinner, and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 6: SALUZZO – MANTA – STAFFARDA, or… the “Marquisate”

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to southern Piedmont. Visit to the Abbey of Staffarda, founded between 1122 and 1138 in the territory of the ancient Marquisate of Saluzzo. The Benedictine Cistercian Abbey quickly gained economic importance within a few decades as a place for gathering, transforming, and trading products of the surrounding fields, which were fertilized by the monks through an extensive and complex land reclamation work. The abbey complex is particularly notable for the Church, Cloister, Refectory, Chapter Hall, and Guesthouse; the other buildings form the so-called “concentric” part of Staffarda, meaning the village, which still preserves the historical architectural structures that were functional to agricultural activity, like the covered market in the square in front of the Abbey and the farmhouses. Transfer to Saluzzo and guided tour of the town. Free lunch.

Saluzzo, located in the center of the Monviso valleys, was once the seat of the Marquisate of the same name. The medieval structure of the town is still appreciated today, along with the ancient castle, the civic tower, the house of Silvio Pellico, and the Museo Casa Cavassa. Short transfer to Manta to visit the medieval castle. The castle has many rooms, such as the Baronial Hall, enriched by important frescoes decorating the walls, a masterpiece and a rare example of late Gothic secular painting. Arrival in Cuneo, check-in to the reserved rooms, dinner, and overnight stay.

Day 7: MONDOVI’ & VICOFORTE

Breakfast at the hotel, meeting with the guide and transfer to Mondovì on the private bus. A comfortable and modern “Funicular” takes you easily from Mondovì Breo (the lower part of the town) up to Piazza Maggiore, the heart of the upper town, where magnificent noble palaces and the Mission Church stand. Inside the church, you can admire the extraordinary perspectives frescoed by the Jesuit Andrea Pozzo, as well as an altar piece, also by Pozzo, which is a rarity of its kind. Free lunch. Continuation to nearby Vicoforte to visit the monumental basilica, one of the most important in Piedmont, whose elliptical horizontal dome is the largest in the world. Delicious stop at the chocolate museum of master Silvio Bessone! Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay in Cuneo.

Day 8: ASTI & CANELLI

Breakfast at the hotel, departure by private bus for Asti and guided tour of the city. Up to the 13th century, Asti was one of the wealthiest towns in northern Italy, serving as a strategic center for trade and banking. The city is located on the left bank of the Tanaro River and is set in the hills of the flourishing Monferrato region, known for its culinary traditions, gastronomic delights and artistic beauty, full of examples of Romanesque art. Lunch at a restaurant. Continuation to Canelli, the homeland of sparkling wine. Visit the prestigious underground lavish, solemn, and unique Canelli’s cellars, to the point of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Miles and miles of galleries and rooms stretch through the tuff hills beneath the town, true masterpieces of engineering and architecture that store sparkling wines at a constant temperature of 12-14 degrees Celsius. Sparkling wine tasting in the cellar.
END OF OUR SERVICE