Canelli (At) - They run beneath the city and in the belly of the hill of Villanuova: are the historic cellars, internationally known as the "underground cathedrals." Hence, in 2003, it started the nomination for World Heritage. In 1850 Carlo Gancia, in one of these "cathedrals" gave birth to the first Italian sparkling wine, Asti. Here they rested, between '800 and' 900, the Moscato barrels waiting to fermentation.
Today the "underground cathedrals" in which entrusted the classic method spumante visited bottles are four:
Cantine Bosca - via Giuliani 21 - 0141-967711
Cantine Contratto - via Giuliani - 0141 - 823349
Cantine Coppo - via Alba - 0141-823146
Cantine Gancia - Corso Libertà 16 - 0141-8301
Since March of 2012, thanks to a positive synergy between the City Council and the sensitivity of the various properties of the historical cellars, has been drawn up a timetable for the opening, every weekend, at least one of the four "underground cathedrals." E 'preferable to the reservation even on weekends (by Friday) to open the historic cellar indicated. Monday to Friday visits can be carried out either in any "underground cathedral" by telephone booking or by mail. Canelli is part of the "Unesco Project" that the white wine landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato to World Heritage. It all started a few years back, just from Canelli who launched the idea of ??a candidate for World Heritage its wine estates, the so-called "subterranean cathedrals", a maze of tunnels, galleries and rooms dug into the ground of the three centuries the city ago and which even now they are refined wines and sparkling conosciti and appreciated throughout the world. But in what way the initiative. It is written in the literature: "The outstanding universal value of the proposed site focuses particularly on the existence of many indigenous varieties, the presence of a widespread culture of wine and an architectural heritage (cellars, farms, etc .. ) fine linked to it, as well as the wealth of wine events. It is emphasized that the site present an important component of an intangible culture linked to the system of traditions, skills, knowledge, techniques and customs that make the environment a wine world unto itself, full of charm and of social and cultural connections. The creation of a serial site is consistent with the most recent guidance issued by UNESCO, which tends to favor, instead of candidacies of individual monuments or cities, wider applications, which offer exceptional testimonies of architectural or landscape complexes in larger scale to be preserved for future generations. " So the UNESCO project as a shield to defend the Piedmontese peasant roots in the sign of a culture of vine and wine that wants to go beyond its rural characteristics, but it involves and, indeed, complete with architectural, environmental and anthropological to it indissolubly united . The UNESCO site of Canelli in this sense is a testimony not to be missed, to visit and keep for future reference. As a patrimony of all, that of Humanity.