June ... - The Siege of Canelli ... The third weekend in June sees the Historical Commemoration of the Assedio di Canelli (Siege of Canelli) which took place in 1613. The Duke of Mantua led the army of Monferrato and lay siege to the town but the people of Canelli together with only a small garrison of soldiers of Savoy, and lots of wine, ensured that the Duke and his army were repulsed ... Today, the Siege is re-enacted annually with great enthusiasm by some two thousand locals dressed
The 'Wine Cathedrals' of Canelli are hidden masterpieces of engineering and architecture. These underground cellars were dug out from the clay soil in the sixteenth century and extend for many kilometres beneath the town and surrounding hills ... They were then considerably lengthened in the nineteenth century and offer perfect thermal insulation and a constant temperature of 12-14 degrees Celsius, ideal for refining the wine's characteristics. Today they house over a million bottles of
It's great to make new friends here in Piedmont, so it was good to meet up again with Maria Pia Lottini of Agriturismo Tenuta Antica who we met recently at a neighbours wine tasting. Last night we enjoyed a lovely meal in her restaurant which featured a sensational seasonal risotto, made by Maria Pia's mother, as well as a beautiful rabbit roll roasted with a filling of omelette and pepperoni, all washed down with their excellent 2009 Dolcetto d'Asti, Daniele, named after one of Maria Pia's
It is always nice to make new friends via the blogosphere so it was good to meet up with Natascha Di Mario of Agriturismo Verdita earlier this month via Twitter and yesterday in person with Nicolas at Cantina Maranzana ... for a wine tasting, cantina tour and lunch! ... Casa Dolcetto is very happy to recommend this lovely Agriturismo which is immersed in beautiful countryside overlooking rolling hills. The lavender farm at Agriturismo Verdita is an ideal spot if you are visiting the region of
In temperatures of twenty five degrees centigrade, the townsfolk of Canelli commenced the reenactment of the Siege of 1613 this afternoon ... It was our second experience of this local festival and as before it was great fun, the whole town relishes the opportunity to dress in costume for this annual event. Luckily it was not quite as hot as last year (36c)! ...
Less than 10 minutes away from Casa Dolcetto lies Canelli where tomorrow, Saturday 19th June 2009, sees the Historical Commemoration of 'The Siege of Canelli' ... which took place in 1613 ... During the Roman period there was a settlement in the area as shown by archaeological findings. In the Middle Ages a castle was built to defend the important roads leading to the strategic harbours of Savona and Vado ... The most celebrated event in the history of the town was the Siege in 1613. The