Madonna dei Monti – Cascina rosa b&b
Madonna dei Monti: magic hill, “terrace” of Monferrato
Cascina rosa b&b is located just outside the village of Grazzano Badoglio up the Madonna dei Monti hill, a four hundred meters high hill, on a famous panoramic spot of Monferrato. We are near the village of Ottiglio too, on the border between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria.
We suggest our guest who love to walk in the nature to go up he hill to the Madonna dei Monti church (XI-XII sec) following the main road and having a break on the panoramic upper square.
Here you can live the nature, enjoy the view on the hills and see also the mountains skyline on the back.
All this while you diving on the historical memories the hill still preserve: here the partisans fought and died for the freedom and you can see two small monuments dedicated to them ( banda Lenti e banda Tom ).
If you prefer you can divert and take the trails that will bring you to the woods, following the path of a secret source of spring water in the middle of silence or looking for the optical telegraph hill, a napoleonic instrument invented by the engineer Claude Chappe used to communicate from all over Europe to Paris.
Grazzano Badoglio: scents, flowers and legend
Grazzano Badoglio – Cascina rosa b&b
Cascina rosa b&b is located about two kilometers from the historical center of Grazzano Badoglio, village that we prefer to remember with his previous name: Grazzano Monferrato.
We would like to write briefly about its historical profile and about the legendary aspects of it that makes it fascinating.
Grazzano has roman origins, as you can see from the tombstone located in the main church ( II sec. d.C.). This stone has the name of Titus Vettius Hermes on it, Tito libertus (freedman).
During the Middle Ages Grazzano becomes important because the marquess Aleramo donated heavy goods to the abbey he founded himself few years back and assigned to Benedictines.
The cloister of the abbey in Grazzano has been renovated and it is open to the public on request.
Chiostro di Aleramo – Grazzano Badoglio – Cascina rosa b&b
When Aleramo died he was buried in the Grazzano Badoglio abbey.
The epic and poetic legend of Aleramo is dated to this period. We like to write about it thinking about the atmosphere of the time while enjoying the view on our hills full of history and memories.
Aleramo was born on the 904 with origins from nordern Europe: grown up strong and vigorous he enlisted for the Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor.
He felt in love with the daughter of the emperor (Adelasia or Alasia) and fled riding a white horse and a red one since the emperor was fighting their relationship.
They escaped to Albenga (Liguria) adapting to new professions: he fitting new professions: he was a merchant and she was an embroiderer for many years. Not happy of the new life, Aleramo choose to go back in the army with his son and they fought undercover with great valor for the emperor.
When the emperor found out his identity forgave him and appointed him the title of marquess of many lands he could circumscribe during three days and three nights of riding. It was the year of 967 and the legend says that before the ride he did shoe the horse with a brick (mùn in local dialect). Due to this legend, the area between the river Po and Langhe it has been named Monferrato: mùn frà (shod with a brick).
It is still a mystery the current location of his sword that was placed on the tomb of Aleramo in the abbey, stolen in later centuries. It is possible to see it on the coat of arms of Aleramo and on the official civic sign of Grazzano Badoglio.
