Tojo and the Lands of Spumante

A track designed to touch one of the most famous points of Monferrato: the “Torre dei Contini”, a panoramic point of extreme charm.

Treat yourself to a visit to this beautiful site and climb to the top of the tower to enjoy a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape.

Colorful circular route starting from the "Tojo Winery" farm, known for the production of excellent Moscato and Barbera wines, but not only ... ..

Canelli and its “Torre dei Contini”

The track will start downhill until you take a panoramic dirt road that will lead you through the vineyards. A stop with photos here is really worth it.

Once back on the asphalt downhill, the route will wind through a maze of secondary streets until it reaches the town of Calosso near its main hamlet, the Piana del Salto.

Continuing towards the hamlet of Sant’Antonio di Canelli, the route will force you to take a turn near the church of the same name.

From here you can also decide to proceed straight and then left, abandoning the path to follow the track called A05, considerably lengthening the tour in favor of a more complete excursion into the surrounding landscape.

By staying on the A08 route, you will quickly reach the junction for the Torre dei Contini.

Near a purple building you can take the dirt road which, on foot, will take you to this particular monument.

 The Tower, dating back to 1617, delimited the boundaries of the municipality and served as a military lookout.

From here, it is possible to have a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape, glimpsing the perfect meeting between the hills of Monferrato and those of the Asti Langa.

Continuing the planned route you will return to take a dirt road.

Pay attention to the last part, which is quite steep.

The landscape, from here, is definitely worth the effort!

The track will also take you to what in the Piedmontese dialect is called "ciabot", that is a small farmhouse immersed in the vineyards once used as a tool shed.

From here you will have an exciting view over the whole landscape below, between Canelli and Santo Stefano Belbo.

The town of Canelli is a small town of about ten thousand inhabitants that rises near the southernmost border of the Monferrato Astigiano, a few steps from the province of Cuneo.

Canelli is historically divided into two parts: “Il Borgo” and “Villanuova”. The first, further down the valley, is the one that has continued to expand with the passing of time while the second, the oldest Canelli, lies on the slopes of the hill and is still dominated by its castle, today Castello Gancia. The Borgo and Villanuova are connected by one of the historical elements of Canelli: La Sternia.

The Sternia climbs up the hill, crosses the medieval part of the town, reaches Piazza San Leonardo, home to the church of the same name and that of San Rocco (recognizable because it is completely brick). From here the road continues uphill until it reaches the top, at the foot of what is now Castello Gancia.

(At the end of the tour, take some time to visit this part of the city)

The Castle of Canelli was the protagonist of a rather troubled history. Presumably born at the beginning of the eleventh century, the Canelli Castle originally had the purpose of defending the roads that led from Asti to Savona, essential for merchant traffic.

Subsequently the fortress has witnessed many struggles and battles that have caused repeated destruction and reconstruction, until 1929 when the Castle was purchased by the Gancia family and transformed into a large noble residence. Even today, the castle dominates the town from above and shows the Canellese and visitors its beautiful appearance of an eighteenth-century villa.

Unfortunately, as the private home of the Gancia family, the castle cannot be visited, however, at least one passage is required to admire it from the outside.

Asti Spumante is the symbol of Canelli and with it are also the places where the wine takes shape. The Underground Cathedrals are located in the Borgo and represent, in a certain sense, the buried counterpart of the town. These were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2014.

We are talking about ancient and incredibly large cellars, where the fine wines of the area are brought to rest and where they develop their peculiarities. The Underground Cathedrals of Canelli belong to four great historic wineries: Bosca, Contratto, Gancia and Coppo. Although in different ways, all 4 companies make their treasures open to the public.

Continuing along the track, the path will lead you back to the Tojo Company, from which you started.