On a wooded hill above the vineyards of the Monferrato, between Casale and Asti, stands the Sacro Monte di Crea, one of the nine Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy that are listed together as a World Heritage Site. The sanctuary of Santa Maria Assunta, a pilgrimage church, sits on the slope, and above it a path climbs through the woods past a series of chapels, each with terracotta statues and painted scenes from the life of the Virgin, to the Chapel of Paradise at the summit, with a crowd of figures depicting her coronation.
The Monferrato is a landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, castles and villages, known for its wines: Barbera, Grignolino and Freisa, and for truffles in autumn. Moncalvo, a few kilometres away, is often called the smallest town in Italy to hold the formal title of città, and it has a well known truffle fair in autumn. Casale Monferrato, on the Po, is the historic capital of the area.
The riding here is wonderful. The roads twist through the hills, climbing and descending through vineyards, with views across the Monferrato and on clear days to the Alps in the distance. Surfaces are generally good, traffic is light outside the towns, and there are plenty of places to stop for coffee or a meal. Autumn is the best time, when the vineyards turn gold and red, and the truffle season begins.
The Sacred Mountains were born in the years after the Council of Trent, when the Church wanted pilgrims to experience the stories of faith almost physically, walking from scene to scene as if on a real path to Jerusalem. Crea, with its oak and chestnut woods, is the highest point in this part of the Monferrato, and the summit chapel has a view over a sea of hills toward the rice fields of the Po plain. In spring the slopes are full of birdsong and wildflowers, and the whole hill is a natural park.
Fuel is available in Moncalvo and in Trino, eleven kilometres away, and Casale Monferrato has everything. The restaurants of the Monferrato serve excellent local food, including agnolotti, bagna cauda and bollito misto, and the wines are superb. The sanctuary of Crea has a restaurant and a café, and parking is available near the church.