A wellness weekend at the Canonica di Corteranzo: a trip among the hills of Monferrato - Part I.

Sooner or later the moment always comes when you want to escape from the more or less frantic city for a few days of regenerative relaxation. For those who live in the large centres of the North, whether Milan, Turin, Alessandria or Asti, the ideal destination for these getaways is often found among the gentle hills of Monferrato. When we start driving along the at-times winding and always panoramic roads that cut through a landscape interspersed with vineyards as far as the eye can see, with fields of cereals or sunflowers that seem to have come out of a Van Gogh painting, at a certain point our gaze is drawn to a tower that stands out in the distance at the top of a hill dominated by an ancient castle. Beginning to follow this fairytale destination we arrive at Murisengo, an ancient village of the Valcerrina, not far from Casale Monferrato.

After parking the car in the centre, we continue on foot, always with our noses in the air, our gaze turned toward the castle and the tower that draw the characteristic skyline of the town that in 1859 gave birth to Luigi Lavazza, founder of the famous company. The castle, originally from the eleventh century, was remodelled several times over the centuries until it became the monument we know today, also known for periodically hosting exhibitions and cultural events. Skirting its ancient walls, evocative views of the village open up, panoramic views of the surrounding hills, but we also discover the beauty of an old oratory with a timeless charm. Looking up, here up close is the beautiful tower that had acted as our lighthouse at the start of this trip: they say it is the oldest part of the manor, though it too was renovated in 1510 and more recently, in the nineteenth century.

It's well known that Monferrato was born from a love story, that between Aleramo and Adelasia. Perhaps that's also why in 1813 Silvio Pellico chose the castle of Murisengo precisely to write the tragedy Francesca da Rimini, which tells the thwarted love story between Paolo and Francesca, known thanks to the famous tercets of Dante's Inferno. The vocation for wellness of these places also arises thanks to the presence of healing waters, in particular those of the Fontana La Pirenta, located at the foot of Montelungo. Its sulphurous water, oily to the touch, was once used successfully in the treatment of various ailments, and at the turn of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries there was even a flourishing spa establishment at Murisengo.

In the period when Silvio Pellico was staying at the castle, perhaps he may have seen how in summer hemp was macerated in two stone basins into which the water of the spring was channelled. The memory of that period is now preserved by the neo-Gothic-style fountain with a lion's mouth, dating from 1859.

From the profane love of Paolo and Francesca our trip leads us toward the sacred, which in our case will also mean a sacred rest, at a splendid residence, the Agriturismo Canonica di Corteranzo, located in the hamlet of the same name in Murisengo. Embraced by the eighteen hectares of vineyards of the Tenuta Isabella around the hill of Corteranzo, the relais masterfully combines the winemaking traditions of the area with the highest standards of hospitality in the name of wellness. We discover the compelling story of this residence by chatting with the owners Emma and Gabriele Calvo while sipping a glass of good wine on the large panoramic terrace immersed in flowers. "The origins of the Canonica date back to the late seventeenth century, when the building was the hunting lodge of a noble Milanese family.

Towards the middle of the nineteenth century the property was divided between two brothers: one of them gave his share to the Curia of Casale Monferrato and that's how the Canonica came about, which until the 1970s was the home of the parish priest of Corteranzo, who often received visits from the bishop", the owners tell us. We can immerse ourselves in the atmospheres of those times by staying in the sumptuous bishop's room, whose red and gold colours evoke the cardinal's style. No less so is the choice of our friends, who decide to stay in the papal suite where shades of golden yellow and ivory dominate.

All the rooms, including those dedicated to the beauties of nature such as the Tulips room or the Citrus room, stand out for their elegance and refinement, praising the careful renovation work carried out by the Calvo family since 2003, and are equipped with every comfort, including wifi and a minibar. The breathtaking view of the hills that opens from practically every window completes the experience of full immersion in the charm of nature. The parish priest could not have chosen a better place for a life marked by contemplation, but also aimed at creating a close-knit community of which memories are still preserved, such as the puppet theatre that the children loved so much or the afternoons spent playing in the shade of the church, whose churchyard was reached through a door of the Canonica.

This closeness to the little church, together with the size and great charm of the spaces of the historic building, make the Canonica the ideal location for weddings, ceremonies and events of various kinds.