Why this ride
From Grinzane Cavour it runs 287 km to Grinzane Cavour; allow about 4 h 03 of riding. The stops in between: Castello di Moncalieri, Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun and back through Castello di Moncalieri.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Grinzane Cavour Castle and Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 287 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 03
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Grinzane Cavour Castle → Castello di Moncalieri
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 62 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 65 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Grinzane Cavour Castle
Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the man who more or less engineered the unification of Italy, spent years as mayor of this little Langhe village before he went on to bigger things, and the square brick castle on its knoll still carries his name. He experimented with winemaking here too, at a time when Barolo was still finding its modern form, so the building sits at a neat crossroads of Piedmontese politics and Piedmontese wine.
Read the complete Grinzane Cavour Castle write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Grinzane Cavour Castle is where the day begins. Next is Castello di Moncalieri.
2. Castello di Moncalieri
The Savoy dynasty liked a country house with a view, and Moncalieri Castle, perched on a hill above the Po, was one of their favourites. Built on older foundations, it was remodelled by the family over several centuries and served as a royal residence, hosting kings, queens and a number of historic decisions. In 1849, after the defeat at Novara, King Victor Emmanuel II issued from here the Proclamation of Moncalieri, addressed to the voters, which helped steady the kingdom in a dangerous moment. The castle is part of the group of Savoy residences around Turin that UNESCO listed in 1997, and part of it is still used by the Carabinieri.
Read the complete Castello di Moncalieri write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Castello di Moncalieri comes up about 65 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun, 63 km on.
3. Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun
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.
Read the complete Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 143 km into the recorded legs you reach Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun. Next is back through Castello di Moncalieri.
4. back through Castello di Moncalieri
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Castello di Moncalieri write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Castello di Moncalieri, late in the day. Next is Grinzane Cavour Castle.
5. Grinzane Cavour Castle
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Grinzane Cavour Castle write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Grinzane Cavour Castle. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Grinzane Cavour Castle to Castello di Moncalieri
Grinzane Cavour Castle → Castello di Moncalieri is 65 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Castello di Moncalieri to Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun
Castello di Moncalieri → Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun is 78 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun to back through Castello di Moncalieri
Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralun → back through Castello di Moncalieri is 81 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Castello di Moncalieri to Grinzane Cavour Castle
back through Castello di Moncalieri → Grinzane Cavour Castle is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.