Montabone

You will be surprised by this village, a true little gem perched on the hill that gives it its name, located in a magnificent panoramic position and enjoying a favourable climate.

A land of great DOC and DOCG wines, of which the sweet Moscato and Brachetto, the delicate Dolcetto and the robust Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines are notable examples; but also a place of art and history.

Its church houses a number of masterpieces by Guglielmo Caccia said Moncalvo, the major exponent of Piedmontese painting between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, who was born in 1568 in this tiny village, in the district known as “Alla Valle”.

The historical center is one of the best preserved in Langhe and thanks to a skillful local administration most of the ancient stone buildings were restored as well as the most beautiful spots of the village, especially along the steep main street that from the fourteenth century city gates leads to the parish church and the open space where in ancient times stood the castle and is today a garden and playground.

The patron saint’s festival of St. Antonio Abate is held at the end of January.

History

Since the eleventh century the village had belonged to the Church of Acqui; in 1164 the Emperor Frederick I enfeoffed it to the Marquises of Montferrat, who lost it in the fifteenth century in the war against Amedeo of Savoy. The fief was subsequently owned by the Della Rovere Bistagno and the Orecchia families from Acqui Terme.