Where the Sun and the Moon Dwell: a Weekend in Cerretto Langhe Among Art, History and Nature – Part II

From the church's starry sky, just a few steps take you all the way to the Sun and the Moon: you need only cross the threshold of the Dimora Storico Romantica that bears the name of these heavenly bodies of Franciscan inspiration. Set against the small central square, the Dimora is one of the oldest buildings in the village. "One of the three sundials on the facade was made in 1712. From this we can deduce that the building itself dates from the late 1600s, if not earlier," Maria Teresa and Giorgio, the owners, explain. The residence, whose silent rooms were once lived in by Franciscan monks, is today a fabulous holiday place for those seeking peace and relaxation in contact with nature. "Some time ago this building housed the Albergo Italia, whose old sign we have kept.

When we took it over, the building was in a pitiful state of neglect, abandoned for thirty years," recounts Giorgio, a construction entrepreneur particularly sensitive to safeguarding the area's architectural and artistic heritage, who with great courage and skill restored the residence, opening it to guests in 2006. "During the restoration work we tried to keep as much as possible of the structure and original elements of the historic building, adopting the principles of green building and using a great many reclaimed materials, from floors to beams to period furniture." The first two lodgings were the ones dedicated to the Sun and the Moon, with yellow and light-blue walls respectively, and later the rooms named after the planets Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus were added.

The elongated house also has a large living room-breakfast room and ends in a fabulous terrace enriched by a small pool and solarium immersed in the scent of flowers, from which a breathtaking view opens over the surrounding hills, planted with vines and hazelnut groves that produce the area's famous PGI hazelnuts. The principles of eco-sustainability concerned not only the renovation but also shape the hospitality in all its aspects. "We hold the European Ecolabel for ecological quality. The label, a symbol of excellence, has the shape of a flower and suggests choosing the best for the environment and for ourselves.

It is a mark of excellence that guarantees compliance with specific environmental criteria and distinguishes accommodation that provides healthy lodgings, food based on organic and local typical products, and the use of gentle detergents and renewable energy sources," Maria Teresa explains. These are criteria that often translate into common-sense measures such as closing the windows if the heating is on, turning off the light when you leave the room, or closing the tap when you are not using the water. Again thanks to the attention to eco-sustainability, at the Dimora all products are offered loose: instead of single-serving sugar there are sugar cubes that bring back childhood memories, as with the block of butter. There is no need for water in plastic bottles: there is purified water, offered in glass bottles.

While care is taken not to waste tap water, rainwater is also collected to water the plants. The attention to quality of life also concerns leisure time: there are no televisions in the rooms. "It is not that we forgot to put them in," jokes Maria Teresa, "but to relax in a place like this, we think it is nicer to read a good book in the evening, tell fairy tales to the children, or give in to the romance inspired by the timeless atmospheres of the Dimora." If the evening is given over to a good read, to chatting together or to feelings, the morning belongs to the area's delicacies served at breakfast. At the buffet set up in the warm, charming living room, we find a wide choice of typical products, starting with the area's jams and natural yoghurt through to cold cuts and zero-mile cheeses.

During the days we alternate moments of absolute dolce far niente with healthy outings along the surrounding trails, including the suggestive routes of the Romantic Road of the Langhe and Roero. We also venture out on mountain bikes in the nearby woods, and even tackle a real "castle tour", visiting a series of mysterious castles in the surrounding villages. When, at the end of our holiday, we return to the city from this fabulous kingdom of "Brother Sun and Sister Moon and the stars", a saying of Saint Francis comes to mind: "A ray of sun is enough to sweep away many shadows." Besides its higher meaning, the phrase also describes well our post-holiday feeling: those rays of sun that broke on the ancient sundial of the Dimora swept away from our souls, within a few days, every shadow of tiredness and stress, and we are certain that returning will be like being reborn every time.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Dimora Storico Romantica Il Sole e la Luna Piazza Sobrero, 13 Cerretto Langhe (CN) Tel.: 0173/520056