Tour del Marchesato
T12
Level of difficulty
Type
Duration
5 hours 25 minutes
STARTING POINT
Street Ascent to Parish
Municipality of departure
Sale San Giovanni
Starting fee
612 m
POINT OF ARRIVAL
Street Ascent to Parish
Municipality of arrival
Sale San Giovanni
Arrival fee
612 m
Length of the route
38.3 km
MAXIMUM QUOTE.
796 m
Minimum fee
470 m
Uphill elevation gain
1.128 m
Downhill gradient
1.133 m
Charging column
Present
It is located in the municipal building in Castelnuovo di Ceva (Piazza della Vittoria 1); phone number: 0174.79039.
THE PATH.
Long but vairegato loop trail that winds through hills and slopes alternating between dirt and asphalt.
From Sale San Giovanni, then, now celebrated for its special lavender and medicinal herb cultivations, one descends toward Sale delle Langhe to ascend, shortly thereafter, toward Priletto and, having passed the Bric San Bernardo, reach downhill the village of Priero, with its peculiar urban plan of medieval origin.
From Priero, then, continue south toward the locality of Costa, plunging into mixed deciduous woods alternating with wild chestnut groves, before reaching Castelnuovo di Ceva, surrounded by greenery and characteristic for its tower and the beautiful chapel of San Maurizio.
Cutting westward, it laps the church of San Pietro and then moves northeast, between asphalt and dirt, toward Montezemolo, home of the Belbo Springs Nature Reserve.
Walking across the plateau that characterizes this small protected area, head to the La Pavoncella Mountain Hut and then continue along the scenic ridge that leads southwest to Sale delle Langhe, passing through the villages of Arbi and Berghe, before finally returning to Sale San Giovanni along the same route you took on the way there.
LOCATIONS AND POINTS OF INTEREST
The parish church of St. John
Built on the basis of an ancient pagan temple in the early decades of the year 1000 and built in Lombard-Romanesque style, it was a parish church until 1380 while continuing to exert its influence in later centuries to the point of influencing the name of the municipality itself. Built with sandstone with three naves divided by as many pointed arches supported by mighty pillars, the building retains harmonious apses and a truss roof that accentuate its aesthetic value. Finally, once entirely frescoed, the parish church still preserves traces of paintings in the pillars and walls (some dating back to the late 14th century, others to the early 15th century and still others to the late 16th century) and in the left apse, here dated instead to the early 17th century.
The Tower of Priero
A cylindrical building of medieval origin, thirty-six meters tall, featuring gray stone masonry pierced by arrowslits. Topped by a conical roof of clay tiles—although the upper part was originally open and ended in battlements—the tower has been open to the public since 2020. Visitors can climb an internal staircase of about two hundred steps to reach the top and enjoy a beautiful view of the town of Priero, which itself still preserves its ancient medieval urban layout.
Chapel of St. Maurice
Currently located within the cemetery grounds, the chapel was likely built around the year 1000 along with the ancient castle that once stood in the area. Originally a parish church but also used over the centuries as a simple rural chapel, it features a rectangular floor plan with a gabled roof. The cycle of frescoes in the apse area remains extraordinary to this day, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus, the Evangelists, and the exploits of Saint Maurice and the Theban Legion, dated October 10, 1459.
The Belbo Springs Nature Reserve
Established in 1993 and spanning the municipalities of Montezemolo, Saliceto, and Camerana, the Reserve protects the entire plateau that extends around the headwaters of the Belbo Stream, making it the only wetland in the Alta Langa region. Home to high levels of faunal and floral biodiversity, the Reserve (now administered by the Maritime Alps Protected Areas Management Authority) is particularly notable for the twenty-two species of orchids that inhabit the area, some of which are found exclusively here within the region. Equipped with rest areas and hiking and biking trails, it is particularly well-suited for immersing oneself in nature in the spring or fall.
Local Specialties
Between honey and medicinal herbs: the unique natural environment that characterizes these distinctive hills stretching between the Apennines and the Alta Langa continues to influence local traditional production to this day. Alongside the lavender and medicinal herbs that have been enhancing the landscape of Sale San Giovanni for several years now, Montezemolo has historically been linked to honey production (primarily acacia, chestnut, dandelion, and wildflower honeys), as a member of the “Le Città del Miele” association and by organizing—once again starting in 2025 after a hiatus of about ten years—a major fair dedicated to honey and beekeeping products.
Download gps coordinates of the route
All Mongibike tracks are also available on Tabui
