Govone, is in the province of Cuneo of 301 mt from sea level. Asti is close to Govone, but it’s in another province, another territorial reality. Here, where the Monferrato ends and the Roero begins, people goes to the Tanaro valley to reach the other town, a little town attached to the agricultural traditions of the country: Alba, the chief town of the Langhe.

The 2000 inhabitants in Govone are divided into six hamlets from the “piana” of Tanaro to a series of harmonious hills: in every sunny hillock there are: a vineyard, a farmstead, a tortuous road that goes to other sceneries, woods, vineyards, small agglomerates of houses, bell towers … The argillaceous base of these hills, quite young, is appeared 6 millions years ago from “Mare Padanum”, and also today, passing through the fields made by red soil, or do serving the split of an hill, it’s not difficult to find the fossil remains of fishes or shells. The present soil is composed by particular marls that are damp and favour agricultural products that are high in quality; this is in particular for the wine production, it reckon the full ripe of grapes that have on high sugary degree , and from those we obtain strong and fragrant wines.

On the top od the highest hill, severer and powerful in its baroque dress, the castle it was documented in 989, it was rebuild in the eighteenth-century on a Guarini’s drawing, inhabited by Savoia, today is the centre of the town council. From its spectacular square you have a unique view, composed by a vaste territory quilted by hills and castle, that are testimony of its post as Savoy residence, when it was important to see the Earl of Guarene’s, the marquis of Magliano and San Martino’s residences and also Alba.


In 1997 was declared by UNESCO as humanity property, with the historical centre in Torino and the Savoy residences of Rivoli, Moncalieri, Venaria, Mandria.Aglié, Racconigi e Stupinigi.

When you visit Govone you can’t stop to the castle. The descent to the think park is the prelude of a day made of relax, passed in the shade of the linden or in the sun going till the bottom of the avenue rich in secular platans we arrived at the shoulders of the church of Spirits Santo, elegant eighteenth-century baroque building that was royal chapel connected to the castle with a long subway. On the same square there is also the severest parish church of San Secondo with the high Tower hall that dominates the entry of Govone.

At the end, if you want a longer walk, it is possible to choose rural ways that bring you through vineyards and little woods to the real essence of this land.