Background information
Cuneo is the regional capital of the largest province in Piedmont, and it is for this reason known as the "Provincia Granda". It is a discreet city, and it carries its proud and glorious history with elegance. Of medieval origin, it was a free municipality until the middle of the XIII century, when it passed into the hands of first the Angioini, and then the Saluzzo and the Visconti dynasties. Part of Savoy from 1330, it became famous for the seven sieges it suffered between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries; even today Cuneo has the air of a border town, a relic of its Savoy identity and the influence of nearby France. The old town centre, with its characteristic wedge ("cuneo") shape, retains some excellent monuments to the Piedmont Baroque, including the Church of the Jesuits ("Chiesa dei Gesuiti"), the "Parrocchiale di S. Ambrogio" and the Church of Santa Croce ("Chiesa di S. Croce").
Not to be missed
Cuneo, with its baroque elegance and its delightful gastronomic festivals, is an elegant province, with a rich history and famous throughout the world for its local products - first and foremost its wines and truffles. On the gentle slopes of the Langhe and the Roero, nature combined with human endeavour has given birth to some of the best-known wines in the world. Exceptional cellars produce Barbera, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, and Barolo, and the visitor can sample these, along with a delicious and refined cuisine, in the beautiful villages of Alba, Bra, Saluzzo, Barolo, etc...
Events
The most important events in Cuneo and its province involve the exceptional enogastronomic products of the area. The famous "Sagra delle Castagne" (Chestnut Festival) is held in Cuneo from the 4th to the 7th of October, and includes wine tasting, food stands and products on sale. In Alba, the capital of the Langhe, there are two events that should not be missed in the course of the year: the national truffle fair, held during the first weeks of October, and where it is possible to buy the precious tubers or try them in various restaurants, and Vinum, in the second half of April, an event dedicated to oenology, and where wines can be tasted and bought.