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Renzo Cremona, award winning Italian author, has chosen Hotel Castello di Sinio, again this year, as one of the venues for his remarkable readings - what he prefers, rightly so, to call "Plays". The plays are based on excerpts from his critically acclaimed book "Tutti Senza Nomi", a compliation of Renzo's insightful short stories, about slightly mystical, certainly mysterious & magical, happenings in life. Renzo tells us that the term "Mystery Play" also refers to some of the earliest formally delveloped plays in medieval Europe.

Renzo's performances here are very special - one of the highlights of our year. We stage the plays outside in the courtyard garden under the stars with the lighted 1000 year old castle as the backdrop. Renzo is joined on-stage by actress Santa Boscolo, a member of the theater company Teatronovo, and one of the greatest voices of all time. Vito Rosafio, longtime orgaziner of historical festivals, stages the lighting, minimalist magic & incredible music that accompany the plays. Renzo & Santa perform each act of Mystery Play and Miracle Play in both Italian & English.

The evening of the performances we offer a lavish buffet dinner with outdoor seating, preceeded by aperitivi & appetizers & music by Vito. In the event of inclement weather, the buffet dinner & performance will be held inside in our downstairs dining room with stone walls and vaulted brick ceilings, which makes for a very atmospheric setting and more than makes up for not being able to dine and enjoy the evening's performance outside! Guests who attended last year's performances and dinner were swept away by this truly magical evening; an unforgettably authentic Italian experience.

Beyond Wine & Food, there are literally hundreds of important sights, historical monuments, beautiful churches and works of art to keep you busy for weeks! While our area is home to some of the most important and famous winemakers in the world, the region of Piedmont is also home to Roman & Medieval antiquities on a par with Tuscany.

We've organized some of our most favorite sights in to conveniently "packaged" half day or full day trips that are wonderful interludes to days spent wine tasting here in the Barolo & Barbaresco wine country. You can disperse these trips throughout your stay to effectively make the most of your vacation. You will find our suggestions below and detailed driving instructions & information are available for you during your stay with us. These sights, that span an amazing diversity in geography, along with the continous village festivals honoring everything from Saints to Strawberries,together with our important wine country, make up a still un-discovered region worthy of a world class Italian vacation.

Hotel Castello di Sinio is ideally situated: central to all the major sites and in the heart of the Barolo DOC vineyards. Alba is 10 minutes away, Asti a half an hour, Torino is 45 minutes. There is much, much more to the region however and the following are some suggestions for day trips or perhaps half day trips when combined with a nearby wine tasting in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga, Monforte D'Alba or La Morra:

- if there is only one place you go, this is it! For evocative, mystical, Crusades period architecture & frescos, both excellently preserved.

- for the second longest defensive wall in the world & impressive mountain fort built starting in the 1400s, by first the French & finished by the House of Savoy. Plus interesting mountain Sun-Dial village of Usseaux closeby.

- Piedmont medieval & renaissance town of Saluzzo plus excellent frescos at Castello Manta, then back to hotel by way of Fossano with excellent castle & ramparts.

- 1200 abbey of the Cisterians at Staffarda, excellently preserved, town of Saluzzo & town of Pinerolo.

- an extraordinary drive to an excellent alpine village that makes Raschera cheese and includes a cheese aging cave under the village, an old stone grain mill and lovely osteria that makes their pasta from flour milled next door at the mill.

- rice growing towns in the Po River basin, plus drive tours of the small wine districts nearby and if you are ambitious, a visit to one of the most ancient of all Holy Mounts.

- in the middle of vast rice fields in this former Benedictine monastery, the first to bring & cultivate rice in Piedmont and still a working rice estate of excellent quality arborio & canaroli, complete with a contessa & risotto tasting lunch.

- a day trip to the northern reaches of Piedmont to visit one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, drink the best beer in the world at Birreria Menabrea then visit the sanctuary at Oropa.

Towering Basilica and mausoleum of the House of Savoy.

In Veneria on the northern edge of Torino. This stupendous hunting lodge and grounds were built by Vittorio Emmanuele II and have been undergoing renovations by the region of Piedmont to preserve the beautiful buildings, art and park with lake. This hunting lodge has some the best examples (and the most) of period furniture so it is a great destination for antique lovers.

Another of the Savoy hunting lodges, it is one of the best examples of the architect Guarini's work. It is located 25 minutes from Hotel Castello di Sinio and could make for an excellent half day excursion when combined with a stop in Bra to visit the headquarters of Slow Food.

Near Alba, Roman Ruins, House of Savoy Country Palace & Slow Food Wine Bank
The House of Savoy were the ruling family in Piedmont and Pollenzo was one their most important country castles and agricultural complexes. The main piazza is stupendous with the 13th century church on one side and the castle on the other. The church is a magnificent example of Baroque architecture and was restored during the 1600s by the House of Savoy. In the piazza are well preserved remains of Roman foundations and the original Roman built acquaduct still runs under what is now the Slow Food Wine Bank housed in a part of the restored castle. Besides the Slow Food Wine Bank the complex also houses the Slow Food University. Pollenzo is significant as it was the largest and most important Roman center during their 500 year occupation of Piedmont.

Sanctuary and Baroque Arcade build by King Carlo Albert I
A half hours drive through the beautiful and unspoiled countryside of the wine DOC called Monragelese, you will be rewarded by a wonderful pause in the small town of Vicoforte home to this Benedictine Sancutary and Church built by the House of Savoy. The church has the largest dome, larger even than Superga and merits an inside visit to see it't frescoed interior done by the leading artists of the time. Stroll through the Arcade which now houses many interesting shops, one in particular of unusual and high quality childrens clothing a great designer shoe store with discount prices and a very nice period cafe with good candy and food products to purchase.

Medieval hilltown extraordinaire!
Very near to the Santuario di Vicoforte, Modoví is the perfect stop and stroll around. It is a good place to have lunch and enjoy the vistas of the greater part of Piedmont on a clear day due to it's strategic location on a very high hill that rises straight out of the Cuneo plain. Seen from a far as you are approaching from Alba or Asti it is beautiful and panoramic, set as it is, against the Italian French Alps with Mont Viso dramatically rising behind it. It is decidedly not a tourist trap and is reknowned throughout Italy for it's particular cuisine and wine, much less well known to foreign travelers. All throughout late October and November, there is a special food festival every weekend called Peccato di Gola. Bundle up in something warm and walk through the entire town visiting artisan food and wine vendors. You will truly feel like you are in Italy here!