The Big Bench number 51, set among the ruby-red vineyards of Ruché, marks the entrance to Castagnole Monferrato, a village stretched along a ridge and surrounded by hills. The name preserves the memory of the chestnut forest that once covered the rocky spur. Today, almost 1,200 people live here.
The village has a thousand-year history, visible throughout its urban fabric, especially in the area of the fortified settlement, where remnants of walls, towers, and buttresses from the 14th century still stand alongside slightly newer buildings and Baroque churches. This border area is home to Ruché, a prized DOCG red wine, little known outside Piedmont. Though ancient, the grape variety was nearly forgotten until 1964, when the parish priest of Castagnole rediscovered it in the parish vineyards and revived its cultivation.
The fortified village boasts what is considered the largest sundial in the world, naturally dedicated to wine, with the inscription: “If someone in Castagnole offers you Ruché, it is because they like you.” One cellar, dug by hand into the rock, houses the largest wine press in Europe. Cellars are widespread here, with nearly every house having one, each unique in shape, size, and decoration. Unlike the more famous Infernot, these local cellars are called Crutin; the one at the Luca Ferraris Winery is particularly noteworthy. Religious buildings include the parish church of San Martino, rebuilt on the ruins of an earlier chapel in 1756 (construction decided in 1714), Baroque in style with three naves and chapels adorned with paintings by Moncalvo. The church of the Annunziata is also Baroque.
Particularly evocative is the garden of the former Regina Elena Nursery School, located in the ricetto area where the defensive walls once stood. Nestled between a large building from the late 19th century, the garden features a raised panoramic terrace accessed via a triple-brick staircase, older than the building itself. The terrace hosts theatrical performances and events.
From Castagnole, especially near the giant bench, where a refreshment point offers wine tasting, numerous itineraries branch off for walking or cycling. Signposted routes lead along easy dirt and white roads that wind through vineyards and fields, well away from asphalt, in both circular and open formats.
