Hotel Calissano stands in Alba, the capital of the Langhe hills which form part of the fiftieth Italian site on Unesco’s prestigious World Heritage List.
Located near the central Piazza Michele Ferrero square, the Hotel takes its name from the glorious Azienda Vinicola “Luigi Calissano” founded in 1872. Considered one of Alba’s earliest and most far-sighted entrepreneurs, Luigi Calissano pioneered the marketing of the excellent wines produced in our area throughout Europe and the rest of the world. The hotel’s foundations stand on part of the very area that was once home to the Calissano wine cellars, which have now been partly restored and returned to their former splendour.
Countless opportunities for outings, walks and bike-rides are on offer in the hills and “Rocche” of the Langhe and Roero, where unspoilt nature can still be found in the centuries-old woodland, and the celebrated vineyards and hazel orchards treat us to products of acclaimed quality. Along with the professional expertise of our staff, our long-standing presence in the area means that over the years we have been able to build strong relationships of trust with local producers.
With a view to delivering customers a complete service package, we have identified the food and wine companies which are most able to provide quality products offering great value for money. While being adept at catering for tourists, the group of partners we have chosen are at the same time emblematic of the area and its history and traditions. Some are perfect embodiments of the major restoration work carried out by both private and public bodies – including the Piedmont Regional authority – that has been so invaluable in raising the profile of this area’s historical heritage.
Guarene Castle
This is an important stop-off on tours taking in Piedmontese Baroque architecture or the region’s outstanding historic residences.
Grinzane Cavour Castle
The first partner we have involved is Grinzane Cavour Castle. Celebrated for its “Alba White Truffle Auction”, it is one of the symbols of the area’s recognition by Unesco.
The first partner we have involved is Grinzane Cavour Castle. Celebrated for its “Alba White Truffle Auction”, it is one of the symbols of the area’s recognition by Unesco. It is home to the “Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour”, which features a significant number of local wine labels, as well as to relics and manuscripts of Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the political architect of the Unification of Italy.
Barolo Castle and Wine Museum
Barolo Castle, with its prestigious themed-gallery Wine Museum and Regional Enoteca, was once a fortress in the old centre of the village.
Barolo Castle, with its prestigious themed-gallery Wine Museum and Regional Enoteca, was once a fortress in the old centre of the village. Dating back to the X century, over the course of the centuries it was taken over by the Falletti family, who in 1864 set up Opera Pia Barolo, a charitable trust charged with administering the family fortune. Among the trust’s main aims was the opening in the castle of a school called Barolo College, which was attended by a large number of the children in the municipality and from nearby villages. Today the complex is owned by the local Council, and it houses the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, which sells the wines produced in the eleven Barolo winegrowing villages.
Azienda Agricola Alta Langa Bio
Recently restored to its former glory, the bed has been planted with the trees that white and black truffles grow in symbiosis with. This means it is a more interesting place to visit than just somewhere truffles are hunted and gathered.
Azienda Agricola Alta Langa Bio is also a Truffle ground. Recently restored to its former glory, the bed has been planted with the trees that white and black truffles grow in symbiosis with. This means it is a more interesting place to visit than just somewhere truffles are hunted and gathered. The company’s idea is to make the Truffle ground a production centre that can be visited and used by one and all throughout the year. A place where educational tours help discover the world of the truffle in all its nuances: its properties and how it is formed, the environment it grows in and the plants that help it develop, how it is found along with the tricks of the trade, and the product’s sensory and tasting analysis when it is released onto the market.
The Ghisolfi brothers’ “Cascina Pugnane” estate in Castiglione Falletto produces an excellent Barolo, and provides a breathtaking view over the village of Barolo and a sizeable part of the hills of the Langhe from the tower which is part of the winery building. The Ghisolfi family’s roots in the area date back to the 1600s, and over the course of the years spent working the land here with continuity they have demonstrated an uncommon sense of attachment to local traditions. Alongside their wine production, a large quantity of hazelnuts and other crops are also grown on the farm.
Guarene Castle: standing in the heart of the Roero, this is an important stop-off on tours taking in Piedmontese Baroque architecture or the region’s outstanding historic residences. The view from its terrace looks out over more than sixty kilometres of Unesco World Heritage vineyard landscape, stretching from the Monferrato to Verduno and taking in the Langhe from Asti via Barbaresco almost as far as Barolo, as well as a large part of the arc of the Alps. When guests wander today around the fifteen historic settings on the two sides of the Ceremonial Hall, they can see the Bishop’s Chamber, which has remained intact and contains one of the most spectacular examples of “bandera” bed and furniture covering made of multicoloured wool-embroidered fabric, the two Chinese Rooms festively decorated with Chinese wallpaper, the nineteenth-century vaulted ceiling of the Music Room, and the library which has accumulated hundreds of finely-bound volumes over the centuries. Guarene Castle is one of the facilities owned by the company that runs Hotel Calissano, and it works together with the other concerns in Grinzane and Barolo on numerous events linked to tourism and the promotion of local food and wine. This project is an excellent opportunity for further developing the interaction between the facilities, and giving tourists the chance to get to know more about the quality of the area’s products.
The companies which have been singled out have put their experience and e-bike charging stations at the disposal of our clients.
Subject to confirmed bookings, and depending on the time of year, they have expressed their readiness to facilitate a form of tourism offering a unique experience. Representatives of various international tour operators – from America and Northern European countries in particular – have stayed at our Hotel in the past, and have had the opportunity to review the professionalism of our employees and the potential of our facility.
During the course of the next few months we will be planning other tourist offerings linked to our particular area and encompassing sport, nature and local tradition..
