The Village of Fontanile
The little village of Fontanile is much sought after thanks to its privileged location on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards with views in all directions including to the snowy peaks of the Alps on a clear day. The village still has a strong community and boasts a thriving café, a small shop and a magnificent church as well as an excellent wine cantina where you can taste and buy the local Barbera.
Fontanile’s location is ideal both in summer and in winter; just an hour to the south lies the Italian Riviera with numerous chic mediterranean resorts while just two hours to the north west are some of the best known ski resorts of the Alps. Turin to the north of Fontanile is the regional capital and possesses many fine shops and museums of historical interest, which are well worth a visit while a little further on are some of the most stunning lakes in Europe; Lakes Como, Maggiore, Lugano and Orta.
The lovely port and city of Genoa is just an hour to the south while, closer to home the Roman spa town of Aqui Terme is just a 20 minute drive. It combines historic buildings with designer shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafés. The thermal water comes to the surface in Piazza Bollente, in the centre of town and people come from miles around to bottle it from the fountain, hoping to benefit from its health giving properties. Alba, the centre of the Barolo wine region and famous for its sparkling wine, is also just a 30 minute drive. Other excellent and thriving local towns and villages worth a look include Nizza Monferrato, good for restaurants, shopping and the Friday market and the hilltop village of Mombaruzzo, home to the Amaretti biscuit.
