Discover Calosso through several layers of history: the castle, the Parrocchiale di San Martino, underground cellars and an installation about the town’s memories each tell different stories. There are also walks through a nature reserve and a fair featuring local cuisine and wine. To plan your visit, it helps to decide in advance whether to focus on architecture, local history, outdoor activities or an event date.
Wine Country and Local History
Since 2014, almost the entire municipal area of Calosso has been in the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s highest protection zone, “The Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato.” This landscape setting also includes specific cultural sites in the town: Castello di Calosso, the parish church of San Martino and the Crotin. You can therefore experience the landscape and built heritage as different aspects of a stay.
Castello di Calosso has several building phases dating back to before the year 1000. Its massive round tower, with corbelled upper courses and fully preserved Guelph merlons, defines the complex. On visiting days as part of Castelli Aperti, the owners guide visitors through the historic hall, the chapel dedicated to Saint Alessandro Sauli, the underground rooms and the park. As these tours are limited to visiting days, it is advisable to check the dates before your trip.
The Parrocchiale di San Martino was built in the last decades of the 17th century. Its tall façade is richly ornamented and divided into two tiers, with pilasters and a crowning pediment. Behind the altar is an ornately carved wooden choir, probably dating from the early 18th century. The façade and choir stalls offer two different insights into the church’s construction and decorative history.
The old Crotin are underground cellars dug into sandstone beneath buildings in the historic town center. Five of these cellars are scheduled to be open for free visits on the first and third weekends of each month from April to September. Check the visiting dates in advance before adding this seasonal option to your plans.
Memories and Stories
The Museo Memorie Di Futuro is a permanent installation featuring images and films devoted to Calosso’s oral traditions and material memories. The films were made by Andrea Icardi, with original music by Giorgio Conte. Topics include wine, the grape harvest and the seasons of winemaking, as well as traditional objects and residents’ stories. Piercarlo Grimaldi and Enrico Ercole interviewed residents for these contributions. The Fiera del Rapulè is also among the subjects covered in the films. The installation offers a different way to explore local history than the castle and church architecture.
Walks and Timing
The Sentiero Paludo 303 A crosses the Riserva Naturale del Paludo and passes beside the small Oasi Perrone – Marchisio. It is considered an easy walk and takes about one hour. Check trail conditions before setting out. Another option is Stage 1A of the Percorso Essenze e Conoscenze in Calosso: it is 5.19 kilometers long, with 45 meters of ascent, and takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The stated times help you choose between the two walks based on how much time you want to spend: the Sentiero Paludo takes about an hour, while Stage 1A takes around twenty minutes longer. The second route also has a specified distance and ascent. These figures apply to the respective trails and give you a practical basis for fitting walking time around your other interests during your stay.
Fiera del Rapulè: Food and Wine
The 2026 edition of the Fiera del Rapulè is scheduled for the third weekend of October. During the fair, Calosso offers a food tour featuring typical local dishes and DOC and DOCG wines from 25 producers belonging to the Associazione Crota ‘d Calos. As the program may change from one edition to the next, it is worth checking the event dates and current program before planning your trip. If you want to plan your stay around the fair, you can weigh the event date against time for cultural sites or a walk.
Calosso offers different ways to shape your visit, each with its own schedule: the cultural sites reveal the area’s architectural history and local memories, the two trails give you specific guidance on walking time, and the fair provides a special event date. When planning your stay, choose the focus that matters most to you, and check the dates for seasonal visits.
Discover more destinations: Cortanze, San Damiano D'asti, Stazione Cocconato, Castagnole Monferrato, Penango, San Paolo Solbrito, Castelletto Molina, Castel Boglione.
For the main travel overview: Asti.
