Bossolasco
Bossolasco is one of the main touristic centers of the Langhe.
Set in a wonderful panoramic place, it’s the official site of the Mountain Community.
The historical center of the town has been decorated with thousands of roses, and in summer all balconies are enriched with flowers.
The Balestrino castle, on the road to Murazzano, was built in 1600, while the parish church is a 14-century Gothic stone building.
The patronal fair takes place in June, on saint John the Baptist’s day.
Bossolasco is a nice little town to visit, both for its charming streets and its beautiful location.
It is called ‘Il Paese delle Rose’ (village of the roses) as its streets are lined with roses.
The first weekend in June they celebrate the yearly Rose festival, which might be an excellent time to visit the town.
The town then bustles with music and even more flowers decorate the town.
Historical background
The origins of Bossolasco are antique and go back to the 2nd century before Christ with the earliest mention of a settlement in this place in 173BC, the year in which Mario Pompilio fought against the Ligurians, which were then the inhabitants of this part of the Langhe.
The first documents to mention Bossolasco are from 1077 and the name is derived from the Latin name ‘Buxolascum’ referring to the rich forests in the area.
The Piazza della Parrocchia is the centre of the little town and is bordered by the Parocchia church at one, and by the old hotel Albergo on the other end.
The Parrocchia San Giovanni Battista from the mid-14th century is named after the town’s patron and was renovated in 1926 in gothic Lombard style.
You can also visit the Castello dei Balestrino castle which was originally built around 300 BC by the Carretto Marquises.
The castle was ruined between 1644 and 1647, but then rebuilt on its ruins.
The Sanctuary Madonna di Mellea is in a panoramic position along the road that leads past the old town and is in late Baroque style; it was renovated in 1971.
Activities in nature
Bossolasco is a good place to start a walk, in any direction really.
You can walk towards Somano and have beautiful views towards the Monviso, or towards Bossolaschetto, or into the Belbo valley; whichever way you go, there are pathways and small roads everywhere, and even with my limited sense of direction I have never managed to get lost.
Century old ‘sentieri’ (paths) have been cleared and restored.
To know where to go, you can go to the tourist information to get a map or have a look at the boards at the beginning of the paths, or you can simply start walking and enjoy where the road takes you.
The area is excellent also for mountain biking.
Another advantage of the town is its location between the wine area and the sea.
So, whilst you sit here quietly on top of the world, vineyards, ski-slopes, and sea are all within a 40 minutes’ drive: pretty perfect, and i am not the first one to have noticed.
No matter how small and insignificant Bossolasco might come across today, its nicknames unveil a rich history: “Pearl of the Langhe”, “Village of Roses”, “Portofino of the Langhe” …
I lived here for a few months and got really curious how it got these names.
Personalità legate al luogo Personalities connected with the place
I found out that they refer back to a glorious past when the rich and famous, and the cultural elite, would congregate in this once vibrant town.
Famous business men like Agnelli (of the Fiat industry) and Michele Ferrero (of Ferrero company) would stay here, as would Italy’s second president Luigi Einaudi.
Three important Turin painters, Felice Casorati, Francesco Menzio and Enrico Paulucci, chose Bossolasco as their muse; later, journalists, authors and tourists followed.
The famous Italian author, Beppe Fenoglio, spent the last years of his life here.
In those days people would not fly to exotic far-away places, and Bossolasco provided exactly what tourists were looking for: a cool and beautiful place to escape the hot Italian summer.
In the Seventies, ski slopes were prepared with lifts to have a nice winter ski-holiday.
The Italian jet set would meet in the small streets at night and parties would last till late at night; as the standard of living increased, Bossolasco was left for more worldly places.
This hasn’t taken away its beauty or charm though; it is still a popular holiday destination and the number of people in summer is tenfold the number in winter.
The town is relatively cool in summer and has a very nice swimming pool where you can spend the whole day.
The grounds offer spectacular views over the plains; there is a bar and a restaurant for something to eat.
Elixir of long life
Bossolasco has a special meaning to me too, as I lived here for a while.
It introduced me into the modest way of life in the “Alte Langhe”; it seems to be a good life, as people live healthily until old age here.
For years I was wondering what these pamphlets were, showing peoples’ faces, that were hanging up in every town and village; later I realized these were obituaries.
I became impressed with the ages mentioned: most people here seem to live well into their nineties! The Piemontese say it is the clean air, the hard but healthy work on the land, and of course, at least one glass of local wine a day.
What really explains their longevity, who knows, but when you take a moment to sit down in this beautiful landscape and listen to the birds and the wind through the trees, you do get a feel of what it could be.
The silence and peacefulness of these hills almost feels as if it has healing powers and it is this silence and beauty that is attracting more and more people to the region.
Here you can still have a truly relaxing holiday away from the crowds to fully recharge your batteries in this enchanting nature.
Food & Drinks
Bossolasco holds a little treasure that people know all over the region: the Pasticceria Artigianale di Truffa, opposite the post office.
It is a patisserie annex café where you can buy delicious chocolates and cakes, all home-made and with local produce.
Drogheria di Langa is a nice informal restaurant located in an old pharmacy: it is decorated with the old pharmacy cupboards and colours, which makes for a pleasant light and cosy feel, and the food is splendid.
Also trattoria Da Fabiana in Bossolaschetto offers good Sardinian food and fish, but also rents out rooms and has a little farm with animals.
Products of the Alte Langhe
The Alte Langhe (or high Langhe) is not such great and famous like her vineyard neighbour, the Basse Langhe.
The Alte Langhe is a traditional farming area boasting great natural beauty; as the hills here are steeper, agriculture was more difficult and people became cattle farmers keeping sheep, goats and cows.
This history of hard labour and poverty has led to a rich present day culture.
The local farmers make delicious products which can be purchased in the small shops in the villages or with the producer itself.
Most famous are the Robiola, the Raschera , the Toma Piemontese and the Murazzano DOP, which are named after the villages around which they are produced.
The cheeses are best accompanied by local wines and the real regional favourite ‘cognà’: a kind of chutney made of Nebbiolo grapes mixed with honey, nuts and fruits.
The delicious cheeses
Murazzano DOP (DOP since 1996) is a fresh cheese produced from ewes’ milk or a mixture of ewe’ and cows’ milk; it’s a round cheese (10-15 cm) and weighs 300-400 g.
The ripening is from 4 to 10 days and the cheese has a soft texture with a fine and delicate odour.
The taste is mainly sweet and fine but savoury and more intense in aged products.
The cheese is produced in the 43 towns that belong to the ‘Unione Montana Alta Langa’ (mountain union of the high Langhe) and in some towns of the lower Langhe.
Generally, each producer uses a different starter to characterise their production; the cheese is dry-salted and natural aromas such as truffle, hot pepper, herbs or rosemary may be added.
‘Robiola della Langa’ (DOP since 1989) is a cheese made with a rich blend of cow's and sheep's milk; Robiola are available in various formats, shapes and sizes.
However, Robiola della Langa has a silky paste with smooth, well-balanced flavours and the rind is sturdy enough to protect its interior while it ripens to a deliciously runny consistency; it was originally produced solely from goat's milk, with the goats often supplementing their grazing with brambles and wild thyme, giving its specific taste: many Piemontese still oppose the mixed milk recipe for this reason.
‘Toma di pecora delle Langhe’ is a DOP cheese that has been added to Slow Food’s Ark of Taste.
It cherishes the tradition that once upon a time all farmhouses in the Langhe kept a flock of sheep; their milk, sometimes mixed with a little goat’s milk, was used to make a small cheese called “tuma”.
The cheese would be sold on market days in the squares of Murazzano, Bossolasco, Alba, Dogliani and Ceva.
The toma cheese made today is still cylindrical and weighs between 200 and 350 grams.
This rind less cheese is eaten fresh, after about a week, though it can also be stored in jars (‘toma ’n bornia’ in dialect) for the whole winter.
Alternatively, the cheese is aged for at least a month and then grated or broken into pieces and put in a terracotta pot with some grappa; it is then fermented to become the local delicacy called ‘bruss’ (meaning acid).
Of course, there are still many more cheeses, for instance the ‘Bocconcino di Langa’ produced in Bosia, but I cannot possibly know and describe them all.
I would recommend exploring the area, and just walk into that small village shop and buy the cheese that looks nicest to you.
You will probably end up with excellent artisanal cheese combined with a good bottle of wine, it will very likely give you an unforgettable experience.
The fruits of nature
In the many wonderful woods that cover the hills, wild ‘funghi porcini’ (mushrooms) can be found, but also truffles, chestnuts, blackberries and herbs such as valerian and thyme.
In the fields, beekeepers keep their hives and produce high quality honey.
The bees feed off the many wild herbs and flowering trees and plants.
Game is mostly found in the valley bottoms, close to the streams, where the land is left wild; here the Piemontese hunt for wild boar, deer, pheasant, and hare.
It is almost inevitable to see the hunters at some point of your stay.
Several cars parked on the side of the road, a few dogs, and men strategically placed with their guns next to the road, wearing orange vests.
Needless to say: this is not the moment to go for a walk there as this will be dangerous.