A town on a human scale - our beautiful journey to Cremolino. Piedmont region, Italy

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We pass under the arch of an old door and takes you to the world of desires: a country on a human scale, colorful houses whose thick walls exude a quiet unthinkable in the city, flowers and greenery everywhere, steep roads that behind every reserve curve tourists a pleasant surprise: a wooden door that makes me think of a cool cellar, a tower that evokes the pink spring and why not, the wine Dolcetto d'Ovada, typical of the area, a wall that's all red 'sings with flowers hanging from the balcony in front. Going to the Castle, the look is an opportunity to wander among the green hills surrounding glimpsed between the houses.

Cremolino is about four feet high on a hill of Alto Monferrato, and is crossed by the winding but the panoramic road which links Turchino Asti and Genoa, and passing Acqui Terme Ovada. We leave the motorway at Ovada and after about ten minutes to reach Cremolino. We park the car at the foot of the fourteenth-century castle built by the Malaspina, and we are approaching our quiet weekend of good food and relaxation. Supersedes the old Porta Maggiore, which leads to the medieval village, after a few minutes walk we arrive at our house eighteenth century, the Bel Soggiorno, a restaurant that also offers accommodations in its three rooms. We settle and explore the country.

We get to chat with a lady who recommends that we go to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace. Centuries before the famous Marian apparition of Grind, the neighboring country, Our Lady appeared to Cremolino a deaf mute girl. The girl was pasturing his small flock on the hill when he saw a beautiful Lady who asked for a lamb. The girl has not only heard and understood perfectly the words of the Lady, but has also managed to say: "You shall know, just wait until I go to ask her mother". She ran home and his parents, to hear her speak, they were literally speechless. They told her to come back from Lady and also to give all the flock, if desired. The girl ran back to the miracle on the spot, but the lady was gone. He felt, however, a mysterious voice echoing in the sky saying: "I am the Queen of Heaven." In 933 there was an incursion of the Saracens which totally devastated the sanctuary, built on the site where the Virgin Mary. Among the ruins burned but the people came to, completely intact, a picture of Madonna. They decided to rebuild the Chapel since then, to remember this miraculous occurrence, is called "The Bruceta.

If centuries ago it was a sacred context to remind the people of Cremolino to be in the good graces of Our Lady, the paintings and art continue to be important in this location. The colors of the medieval village and surrounding hills, vineyards and old houses seem to be the work of a painter, and AVR also thought Fiordiponti Robert, an artist born in Terni in 1943 which he dedicated to Cremolino a series of watercolors depicting the the most beautiful places in the village. In his works, which were also exhibited in the country some time ago, we can enjoy the atmosphere cremolinesi suspended between reality and fantasy in a dream, his trees have leaves sometimes blue.

During our weekend, the art has been with us even at dinner, during which we were able to indulge in the pleasures of a real cuisine. In fact, the traditional cuisine of Alto Monferrato, with influences from Liguria, expertly prepared by John, the owner of the local historian, are in themselves works of art. The mixed fry of Bel Soggiorno was ranked by the juries of major international competitions at the top of the fried whole Piedmont. "At the end of the nineteenth century, the central square of Cremolino, there was the Star Café, managed by our family. The rudder is passed into the hands of my parents in 1967 when we moved from the square in this house in 1742, to continue a centuries-old tradition, "John told us while we began to taste the appetizers Piedmont, followed by excellent by the legendary agnolotti and stir-fry, made with over fifteen ingredients including meat, vegetables and sweet components expertly fried right now. Sipping excellent Dolcetto d'Ovada, coming from well-stocked wine cellar, we were granted a further artistic pleasure: to enjoy the important paintings in the room and hallway, passion fruit John Artis.

The beautiful weekend we spent in Cremolino has gladdened us the meaning of confirming what we always: there is no need to go very far to find the corners filled with poetry.

Frances Bertha

For information:
www.ristorantebelsoggiorno.com
0143/879012

www.Cremolino.com