Villa Mimma (English)

Courtyard upside down for renovation works!

2011-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

Big works at Villa Mimma!!!

The courtyard has been dismantled for renovation works. It will take about a month to pave the whole of the courtyard.

Here the parsimony tree is still standing. It may be necessary to let it go. It has been part of the courtyard ever since I can remember. We'll see what we can do.

Free accommodation to be won!

2010-10-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

WIN a night in B&B for two people!
How many statues are used in the "presepe del torchio"?

Win a night accommodation for two people at Villa Mimma B&B.

Send your answer via email at win@villamimma.com including your
details (name, surname, address and a telephone number).

Deadline: 17:00 hours of the 30th of November 2010 (Italian time).

The winner will be decided with a blind-folded draw on the night of the 30th of November amongst those who sent the correct answer.

One entry per person only.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

2010-08-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Fan number 70 on facebook has won a free night accommodation at Villa Mimma B&B for two people!!!

Plan of the house - B&B and apartments

2010-06-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Artificial snow dome: the first in Italy, amongst the first in Europe!

2010-06-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Near Villa Mimma there will be the first Italian artificial snow dome, Dubai style! This will be amongst the first European ones (there are already one in Holland and one in Germany), opening towards the end of 2013! Over 100 new jobs and a unique business boosting opportunity for the Monferrato region.

Restaurants

2010-05-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few restaurants in the area that a friend who moved to Cerrine (20 min from Villa Mimma) from the UK has tried and enjoyed over the last year or so. We hope that this comprehensive list will help our guests discovering the area and give them some ideas. All places need to be reached by car from Villa Mimma:

Cafe del Conte Amico
Piazza Castello 2
Castell'Alfero
14033 Asti
Tel 0141 405755
http://www.cafeconteamico.it/

Jane says: "I had lunch here after a walk with some of the girls. Most of us had an Antipasta and Primi, with bottled water, followed by coffees. We split the bill which came in at EUR 12 per person as a guide. Not sure if it is open in the evening - closed on Tuesdays"

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Pizzeria Pic Nic
Via Ospedale 7
14100 Asti
Tel 0141 556228

The expats met here for dinner one evening - not far from the main square. Pizza, wine, coffee, limoncello - came in on a split bill of EUR 17. Open on Mondays when a lot of the other restaurants seem to close around here.

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Orchidea Bar Trattoria Pizzeria
Via Casale Ghiale 12
15020 Cerrina
Tel 0142 94160

Closed Mondays. On main SS590 road running through Valle Cerrina, last building on the right coming from direction of Ozzano. Jane says: "Wayne and I have had lunch in here - very tasty can chose individual plates or go for set menu excluding wine. EUR 10. Lovely hosts."

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Gran Caffe
Corso Valentino 153/155
15033 Casale Monferrato
Tel/Fax 014270819
http://www.gran-caffe.net/

Jane says: "Great place for an aperativo. Been here on a couple of Saturday evening with friends. Aperativo is approx EUR3 for wine and nibbles per person One of the best aperativo places according to our friends. It is opposite the Co-op on the main road in Casale. ( added bonus is you can park in the Co-op or Penny market car parks)"

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Pizzeria Ristorante del Corso
Corso Valentino 131
Casale Monferrato
Tel/Fax 0142 71294

Would advise booking on Saturdays. Great food - pizza's and pasta's, mains etc. Bill roughly EUR 15 per person for starter and main course, coffee and wine.

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Cascina Martini
Via Gianoli 15
Corteranzo
15020 Murisengo
Alessandria
Tel - 0141 693015
cascinamartini@cascinamartini.com

Jane says: "Had a super meal here - bit more pricey, but lovely setting and they do a taster menu. I believe you need to book, and they will open if it is just you - they did for us and our friends last year, one of whom is a chef, and he was in heaven there. Think the bill was around EUR 40 per person

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Cave di Moleto
Moleto
15038 Ottiglio
Tel 0142 921468
http://www.moleto.it/

Jane says: "Wayne and I had dinner here last summer -would recommend sit inside or smother yourself in mosquito repellant - this is where he got badly bitten. The food is lovely, and the restaurant is well known locally - must book to ensure a table - we had starters, main, desert to share, bottle wine, coffee - bill roughly EUR 30 per person.

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Tuais
Via Pessine 29
Odalengo Piccolo
Tel 0141 919196

Jane says: "We went here with other friends in November, we were the only ones there. More pricey as we had a truffle on our pasta so paid extra for that. They do have a big terrace with fab views which would be good in the summer. Would recommend booking as we were the only ones there and our friends booked the table."

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La Foglia d'Oro
Via Madonnina 35
Serralunga di Crea
Tel/Fax 0142 940170

Closed mondays. Well known restaurant.

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Selene
Valle Cerrina (on the left hand side as you enter the Valley. It has a big Ice Cream cone on the forecourt as a landmark)

Open for snacks/lunches. It has a bar and you can also get a pizza - takeaway only in the evening - very thin pizza base - lovely, and plenty of choices for topping - very good price.

Free accommodation in B&B to be won!

2010-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Complimentary accommodation at Villa Mimma in honour of Paola's 70th birthday for the 70th Villa Mimma's facebook fan!

Conditions:

Register as a Villa Mimma's fan before September the 6th 2010 (Paola's birthday);
Free: One night accommodation at Villa Mimma's B&B for two people in double/twin room.

How to claim your free accommodation:

You will receive a unique identifier number from Villa Mimma B&B via email;
Quote your identifier number at the time of the reservation.

Excursions and photography

2010-04-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Discover the Park of the River Po and its nature trails with "Orme Lievi" (Light Footsteps)

"Light footsteps as the traces of the animals that disappear with the wind or with a few drops of rain,

Light footsteps as those that everyone of us should leave behind ourselves but that become deep sulci in everyday life"

See the website http://www.ormelievi.it/ for further information.

The Holy Shroud - Turin 2010

2010-04-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today we went to see the Holy Shroud in Turin. We left Villa Mimma around 10:30am, with rack-sack with sandwiches and water prepared by Paola for us. We parked in Casale Monferrato station and were lucky enough to find a free parking space. Buying the train ticket to Turin was quite an adventure in itself as the station machine was broken. Nevertheless we made it! We boarded a coach that took us straight to Vercelli where we could then take a train to Turin.

In Vercelli we had 30 minutes to spare so we took the chance to stroll to the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, a Romanic-Gothic church. The red, green and grey marbles and stones used for its interior and exteriors make an impressive church worth seeing it. The cloister is also open to the public and it was restored for the millennium.

Once in Turin (at around 1pm), after a pleasant train journey from Vercelli, we strolled under the galleries that are on the side of Piazza Carlo Felice, Via Roma, Piazza San Carlo (which is the centre of Turin life), until we reached Piazza Castello. We passed many fashion shops and cafes, selling the renowned chocolate of Turin!

In the church of San Lorenzo, at the corner of Piazza Castello, we could appreciate the Shroud through pictures and historical notes. This was excellent as the children could see it and I had the time to point features out to them. I was worried about their interest for it, but they were really keen to know about the scientific proofs of the authenticity of the Shroud and the extreme similarities between the signs of the Shroud and the recount of the crucifixion by the Gospels.

We had time to stroll to the gardens by the Royal palace and find a playground before joining the queue to see the Shroud. We had booked to see it at 4:30 pm, joined the path that led to it at 4pm and hardly stopped at all in our walk towards it. Time passed incredibly fast as the walk develops under a structure build for it with paintings of the life of Jesus through history. Then the path takes you above some excavations of a Roman Theatre, until you reach the final point where you join a group to see a presentation of the Shroud and its signs. After this, you are asked to enter the Guarini Chapel built in 1694 for the Shroud.

The silence and devotion of the people in the church are certainly catching and the emotion for seeing something so real is overwhelming. Whether you believe that it was Jesus wrapped in that cloth or not, it is still unbelievable what the man of the shroud must have suffered and the sense of dignity and respect that the figure inspires when you stand by it.

Overall it took us about 45 minutes to go through and it certainly wasn't that ordeal of queueing and waiting that we expected, even for the children.

Tickets to see the Holy Shroud: http://www.sindone.org/

Train connections to Turin: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/

Accommodation at Villa Mimma email info@villamimma.com

(20% discount on accommodation and train tickets with bookings to see the Holy Shroud).

2010-04-07T14:06:00.001-07:00

Saturday 27th of March Villa Mimma had the pleasure of hosting the writer Angelo Petrosino for a meeting organised by the village library for the children of the primary schools of Treville and the area.

The writer, who lived for many years abroad, first in Paris and then in Cornwall, has engaged the children immediately thanks to his nice and joyful nature, trying to make them understand how useful it is to pay attention to all that surrounds us.

Answering the many questions that the young audience asked him, in particular about how to become a writer, he explained how he listens to the silence and watches with careful eyes the little things of everyday life . You don't need wizards, witches, super-heroes to give life to his books because there you can only find true and lively characters who may be are a little bit noughty!

The adventures of Valentina, the main character of 70 + books that he wrote, are the cleardemonstration of the success that his stories meet amongst children of all around Italy.

Discover more about this great author on his website: http://www.angelopetrosino.com/

St. Joseph's festivals - Casale Monferrato 13-21 March 2010

2010-03-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

The celebrations for St. Joseph festivity have started this weekend.

Exhibitions, shows, markets, and a huge Fair Ground,... are available in Casale Monferrato for the rest of the week for everybody's enjoyment.

Moreover, this week Casale will open all its private and public monuments to its visitors.

Don't miss this occasion to participate in the celebrations!

First Prize for "La Cantina dei Presepi"!

2010-02-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

"La cantina dei presepi" of Villa Mimma has been voted the best nativity of the traditional category in the competition "Vota il presepe" lauched by Genoa's council and SAGEP printers, with the support of the Lions Club.

The nativities set-up by Andrea Gandini in the cellar of Villa Mimma have been voted 122 times, with the runner-up having been voted 110 times.

The official cerimony will take place in Genoa on the 17th of February.

Thanks to all who have voted!

The cellar of the Nativities - December 28th 2009 - January 31st 2010

2009-12-15T15:29:00.001-08:00

Villa Mimma has prepared the cellar of the Nativities once more and it will be open to the public from December the 28th 2009 to January the 31st 2010 for visits, from 3pm till 6pm - appointments are advisable (tel: +39 0142 487953 or email: info@villamimma.com).

The cellar has more than 20 nativities, set-up by Andrea Gandini, with statues of different origins!

This year new idea is the nativity set in the old wine-press (see it in the picture while in preparation!).

Also the cellar of the nativities can be voted on http://www.sagep.it/, where it is listed together with many other nativities (presepi) of the Piedmont and Liguria regions. This is an initiative sponsored by the Council of Genoa, The Lions Club (District 108 Ia2) and SAGEP editors.

In order to vote, you need to register first though. The fields required for the registration are:
NOME (NAME)
COGNOME (SURNAME)
LOGIN (choose a login)
PASSWORD (choose a password)
SAGEP CLUB (untick if you do not wish to receive the offers from SAGEP editors).
You can leave the rest blank.

Once you have registered, click on the banner "Vota il presepe" to vote the presepe of your choice. You can vote one nativity in each category. The cellar of the nativities is listed under the traditional nativities (PRESEPI della TRADIZIONE), half way down the list, shown as Presepe di Treville - La Cantina dei Presepi.

The first 600 voters can claim a free book (Musica & Gastronomia) on the Italian tradition of cooking and music - starting from the Romans! It is a really nice hard-back book (in Italian, I'm afraid!), which needs to be collected at SAGEP in GEnoa. If you are unable to collect your book yourself, please post the voucher to Villa Mimma (Via Roma 30, 15030 Treville (AL), Italy) and Paola will collect the book for you. Do not forget to include your name and full address so we can post it to you afterwords.

The most voted nativity will receive a medal as a recognition of its role in the Christian tradition of the Nativities. Andrea would welcome all your votes off course!

Newsletter - June 2009

2009-06-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Spring Events Summary

Open Air Swimming Pool - Casale Monferrato

Special Offers

News from Treville

Spring Events Summary

Spring has been a busy time as usual with many guests staying with us throughout April and May. Some have come back for the second time and have shared in family events like Alberto's 70th birthday party when Paola put together a menue for a king!

The family also saw about 25 couples coming to Villa Mimma to celebrate Claudia's 40th birthday. On Easter Monday Claudia organised a reunion of friends from school, uni, social networks and even work. People came from Switzerland, the UK, as well as from various parts of Italy, such as the Riviera, Milan, Pavia, Rome, Bologna...The day was gorgeous and everybody enjoyed the tranquillity of Villa Mimma's courtyard, the local wine and the buffet of salami, pizzas and pasta that was prepared. The children (approximately 25, aged between 2 and 12) mingled in groups, with the boys kicking the football for most of the day on the road. Even if some people knew only a few of the others, everybody joined in the chatty atmosphere and had a great time. Claudia certainly will never forget this celebration and the many wishes she recived throughout the day, including all the messages she received from those who could not be there: they will always be special.

In May Treville took part in the Riso & Rose festivities and Villa Mimma hosted book presentations and painting exibitions. One of the events of the day saw the classic guitarrist Marco Panzarino playing with the flute of Manuela Santagata in the Romanic church of San Quirico. Marco and his wife, who is a pianist, were guests of Villa Mimma and left us this memory of their stay: "Il mio soggiorno a Villa Mimma e' stato un momento intenso di serenita' e calma, che mi ha permesso di esprimermi musicalmente in un ambiente simpatico, sereno ed artistico. (My stay at Villa Mimma was an intense moment of tranquillity and serenity that allowed me to express myself through my music in a serene, peaceful and artistic location.)"

Open Air Swimming Pool - Casale Monferrato

Often people ask if there is a pool at Villa Mimma. At the moment no, but this is a big dilemma as we often wonder whether it would be worth it having a private pool. In fact, not far away from Villa Mimma, at the edges of Casale Monferrato, there is a beautiful complex that offers an open air swimming pool with changing facilities, deck chairs, pic-nic areas. There is also a play ground with a football pitch and volleyball court, trampolines and areas shaded by two large gazebos. For the summer 2009 we have decided to offer our guests FREE ENTRY to this pool, so check it out and book soon to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Special offers

Golfers - 10% discount on the accommodation

Schools in the UK - 20% discount on the accommodation

TCI, ANBBA, Surrey Alumni - 10% discount on the accommodation

News from Treville

Congratulations to Piero Coppo who was reconfirmed major of Treville for another 5 years with 84.75% of the votes!

Summer 2009 - New deal: FREE POOL ENTRY

2009-06-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

FREE POOL ENTRY 4 VILLA MIMMA's GUESTS - SUMMER 2009

We spent the day in the open air pool of Casale today and it was a great family day out. We all enjoyed it, managed to swim and have fun in the water as well as relax under the trees.

The pool is 50mx21m with a big slide. It is 1.2m deep to one side and 2m to the other. There is also a children pool with three smaller slides.
Sun beds around the pool are free to be used as well as deck chairs scatteres all around the grass area, under the trees.
Changing rooms with lockers are cleaned and were available for use.
A sandy football pitch, beach volley area, basketball court, table tennis and trampolines are all available to use, with balls provided - my boys had a go at basketball, football and table tennis!. For the little ones there is also a play area with swings and various climbing frames with slides.
There is a bar that sells food (e.g., pizzas, sandwitches, hot dogs, fruit salads, water mellons, etc.), drinks and ice-creams. We took our own pic-nic and sat under the trees, but there is the option to eat there too.

We have spoken to the owners of the pool and we have managed to sort out a deal so that we can now offer the pool entry for free to our guests. So if you are coming to Villa Mimma this summer 2009, you can be assured that we will absorb the cost of the entrance to the pool within the rent of your accommodation, for as many days as you wish to go.

Villa Mimma helps the Cabrini Children's Society

2009-06-18T01:08:00.001-07:00

On Sunday 31st of May 2009 the Cabrini Children's Society held a fund raising event at Worth Abbey (UK). In the wonderful landscape surrounding the church, more than 400 people gathered for a meal and entertainment aimed at celebrating the success of the past 25 years of working with children and families in need.

Villa Mimma's owners, Paola and Alberto, are very fond of the work of the Cabrini Children's Society. In fact they have been able to appreciate the Society's work personally over the past 7 years. Paola and Alberto have therefore supported the event by donating a week of free accommodation in the apartment "Le Alpi" at Villa Mimma, as the prize of an auction that was histed during the celebrations. This raised £500 for the Society and the winner of the draw is Lulu Martin-Davies, Senior Social Worker at the Pureley agency of the Cabrini Children's Society.

It has been a pleasure to be able to help fund raising for the Cabrini Children's Society and we wish Lulu and her family a wonderful stay at Villa Mimma.

Swimming pool in Casale Monferrato

2009-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Along the bank of the river Po, through Casale Monferrato, you come across a public outdoor swimming pool, called "Centro Nuoto Montecarlo".

This is a lovely area immersed in the woodlands of the park of the river Po where you can find a large swimming pool with a big slide, deck chairs all around, pic-nic areas, football and volleyball pitches, play area, trampolines, changing facilities and off course a bar.

Entry fees: €7 per adult and €5 per child for a whole day.

Opening time: 10am and closes at 7:30pm (summer season only).

New deal for Guests of Villa Mimma - Pool entry included in the accommodation price!

Riso & Rose 2009 - festival of the arts

2009-03-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

ARTS MEET TOGETHER

Sunday 3rd May 2009

This year Treville participates to the Riso & Rose festival of the Monferrato villages with a display of different forms of art: paintings, music, literacy, ceramic.

Here is the programme:

10.00am: Official opening in the courtyard of Casa Devasini, where there will be a book market organised by Treville's Library Giuseppe Spina.

10.30am: Villa Mimma: Inauguration of the painting exibition “Colori di Maggio” (May colours) of the memmbers of the Cultural Club Piero Ravasenga of Casale. At the same time, the small church of San Giacomo will be opened to show the “Rose in Ceramica” (ceramic Roses), collection presented by the potters of the Circolo Ravasenga.

3.30pm: At Villa Mimma the Library of Treville will present some books, e.g. "La Principessa di Millefiori” (which is a children's story);"Gli uomini del piccolo fiume” (novel for young adults); "lettura animata” (animation of literature pieces); At the end of the presentation, children will be given a game produced by the Library called "Treviltour", where you can go around a path displaying some of Treville's hot-spots and road signs, which gives penalties or prizes depending on where the counter stops. The winner is whoever gets to the arrival, i.e. the Library itself!

5.30pm: Jazz Concert with Luca Calabrese Quintet (Luca Calabrese – trumpet, Giorgia Barosso – vocal, Franco Russo – keyboard, Giorgio Allara – bass, Chicco Accornero – drum) in the terrace of Casa Devasini. Aperitif offered by the Rata Birata wine-bar of Treville.

7.30pm: Sunset Concert at the Pieve Romanica of San Quirico: tangos of Astor Piazzolla, and musics of Leo Brouwer and Jachques Ibert played by the flute and guitar of Manuela Santagata – Marco Panzarino (in case of rain the concert will be held in the Council Room).

Venaria Reale and the Egyptian sunken treasures

2009-03-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Venaria Reale is hosting a unique exhibition of the sunken treasures of Egypt! This is a unique opportunity to view the artefacts hidden in the sea after cities of majestic splendour such as Alexandria of Egypt were submersed by the water.

Here is a link to the official website of the exhibition, which will be at Venaria until the end of May 2009.

Snow at new year!

2009-01-09T13:42:00.001-08:00

The new year started with the snow in Treville!

Happy 2009 to all our friends and guests that have enjoyed this enchanted little corner of the World over the years.

Newsletter - December 08

2009-01-05T06:13:00.001-08:00

Villa Mimma: overview of the year
And here we are at the end of another year, under the snow and with the fire on! Too many things to tell, but I will try to catch some of the highlights.

Back again
This year we had many guests who came back for the second time, some who were here only a few months before and some (Jean and Ginette) who came back all the way from Canada and enjoyed another holiday with us. This is most rewarding, especially when guests become friends, spends time in the courtyard and in the veranda! I have asked Jean and Ginette: "Why did you come back to Villa Mimma?" and this is their answer: "why did we return at Villa Mimma....we find that we are returning home in Italy. We feel part of the family. Your parents and Andrea make you very comfortable when you arrive. They always give you a warmth welcome. when we got to our house....she had bought 2 kinds of cheese....some cold meat (she remembered thatJean loved it) orange juice and some milk....its little attention like this that you appreciate. In Treville it is a small quiet village with beautiful people. It is a place that you never forget in your heart. At night sometimes your mother came and chatted with us. we were always having supper outside in the gazebo....after playing cards. we had time to relax before heading the other big cities. we also met your Dads mom. she is quite in shape for her age. We had a visit of the basement and the other part of the house....very special. We wish Villa Mimma a long lasting life and God bless you all. .. Jean and ginette "
Children writer Anna Vivarelli presents her books.
On the 12th of April Villa Mimma hosted a workshop organised by the village library aimed at children, where the writer Anna Vivarelli presented some of her books, interpreting her stories for an audience of little readers and their parents. The children were captivated by her fantasy tales and most of them went home with books under their arms.
Tapestry exposition
One of the highlights of the year was the carpetry exposition of Vera Vermeersch's work. From the 3rd to the 11th of May in the ex-church of San Giacomo in Treville, people had the opportunity to come and appreciate the beautiful rugs in wool produced by hand tufting in Vera's atelier in Belgium.

Cooking with Paola
Sharing an Italian meal with my family is always one of the hights of people's vacation, especially those who stay for a few nights. Although we cannot offer proper cooking classes or proper restaurant meals, it is always possible to prepare a meal together and to sit around the table to eat it in good company. We now have two agas, one is in my Mum's kitchen and one is in the veranda, so it will be possible to cook using a stove with wood birning fire instead of electricity or gas!If you are after a proper cuisine class, instead, we know where it is possible to arrange a cooking lesson for something between €20 and €60 per person, depending on the duration of the teaching session.
Wifi at Villa Mimma
Thanks to Glen hard work we now have a wifi network at Villa Mimma. It is linked to my family's private line but if you really cannot stay away from your emails and need to connect to the Internet, I am sure you can beg a password from my Dad!

Reviews are important
Reviews are proving to be vital for Villa Mimma survival! We now have quite a number especially on TripAdvisor. If you have been and want to leave your comment, even very brief, or if you want to read what people say about Villa Mimma, these are the sites to check:
Trip Advisor Website
Trip Advisor Website
Slow Travel
Italia Dream
Homelidays

I think I have summarised an exciting 2008 year for Villa Mimma. We are now looking forward to the festivities and the year to come.

From Paola, Alberto and Andrea I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009!

Claudia

First snow: ready for skiing!

2008-11-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

The first snow has fallen - heavy and thick!

If it stays it will be a white Christmas!

Farm shop and historical beauty at Lucedio - Piedmont

2008-10-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Lucedio’s Abbey was built in 1123 by the Cistercian Monk, coming from The Fertè, on the grounds of the marchionesses Ranieri of Monferrato.

The Cistercian reclaimed the territory introducing for the first time in Italy the cultivation of the rice at the beginning of the XV century. With the passing of time the Abbey became a true economical and political power: three Popes passed from Lucedio, confirming the role of the Abbey and its lucky geographical position along the Francigena Way.

Because of its increasing political and economical power and its location, Lucedio was the reason behind some of the fights between the Italian dynasties. Owned by the Gonzaga family and later on by the Savoys, at the beginning of the XVIII century the Abbey became property of Napoleon. Subsequently it went to the marchionesses Giovanni Gozani of San Giorgio, ancestor of the present proprietor, the Countess Rosetta Clara Horses d' Olivola Salvadori of Wiesenhoff.

The splendid medieval rooms of the Abbey are opened to the public for guided tours, wine and food tasting events, receptions, congresses and concerts; some of the rooms are also used for television filming or are used as the setting for some adverts.

From the naturalistic point of view it must be remembered that Lucedio is located inside a protected area whose regulation, together with technologies of low environmental impact used in Lucedio’s Farm, facilitated the return of the typical fauna of the rice field: as well as the frogs, a number of herons and of Italian knights have chosen Lucedio as their residence.

As well as visiting the historical part of the Abbey, it is possible to visit the Farm of the Principato of Lucedio and, in particular, to see the machinery used for the entire production cycle of the rice. It is also possible to combine the visit of the grounds with a sampling experience of the typical products of the territory followed by a tour of the Farm shop “Temptations of the rice” where visitors can buy all the products of the "Principato of Lucedio".

Price freeze - 2009 at the cost of 2008!

2008-10-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

SPECIAL OFFER DEADLINE: 30th November 2008

Book Villa Mimma for 2009 before the end of November and you will pay the same price as 2008.

The prices for 2009 will soon be published and then the new prices will apply.

Hurry!!! Book now and save!!!!

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Theatre - Carlo Felice in Genoa

2008-09-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

For those who love concerts and the opera, there is a variety of theatres that are reachable in approximately an hour from Villa Mimma.

Here I would like to point the attention to the theatre in Genoa, the "Carlo Felice". This is a new theatre that was rebuilt after the original theatre was bombarded during the Second World War, as nicely described on the theatre's website.

Its fame is due to the fact that the inside is like being in a "covered" square. The photo shown in the main website doesn't give you the full feeling, so why not taking a trip there?

The calendar for the 2008/2009 season can be found through the following links:
- Opera and ballet;
- Symphonic season.

If you attend any event or if you visit this unique theatre, please do let me know and I'd love to see some recent pictures.

September in festival - Food and Wine

2008-09-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

On the weekend of the 13th/14th of September in Asti there is the Festival Delle Sagre, where the big Campo del Palio (the square that hosts the traditional horse racing event - this year on the 21st of September) hosts stalls from about 50 local towns, where you can sample the food and wine of the region. On Sunday there is also a parade with floats representing traditional farm themes. The official website is in Italian!, but it can give you an idea of what to expect.

Also, in Asti there is the Douja d'Or wine festival from the 12th to the 21st of September, where you can sample around 400 local wines (you can also buy them!). Some information in English can be found on the world events guide.

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Palio di Asti - 21st of September 2008

2008-09-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

The traditional festival of the "Palio di Asti" is getting closer again.

The medieval town of Asti is hosting its renowned Palio on Sunday the 21st of September, although celebrations will start on the Friday and Saturday before then. Music, food, wine, market stalls, parades, fireworks... will be part of the fun.

The first notion of the Palio goes back to 1275, so it has been around for quite a few centuries.

Don't miss the opportunity to take part in it if you are in Piedmont at the right time!

A day at the beach - Arenzano

2008-08-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you decide to spend a day on the beach, you better aim at the village of Arenzano near Genoa. In fact, you can reach it very easily from Villa Mimma by joining the A26 motorway towards Genoa. When you are by the coast, you need to leave Genoa to your left and follow for Savona. The Arenzano exit is easily found and you won't find yourself stuck in traffic because you would have avoided Genoa completely. It takes less than an hour from your accommodation at Villa Mimma to the beach!

Once you are in Arenzano, you are spoilt for choice. Its sandy beaches are split between public beaches and different private beaches where you can hire a sun-bed or an umbrella with deck-chairs for the day. If you are quite keen in a bit of privacy and in the comfort of your own area, though, don't leave too late especially in August because you could be disappointed and find everything full.

The village offers plenty of restaurants and bar, both along the seashore and in the streets.

Don't forget to try a bit of "focaccia" and if you like basil and fancy a restaurant, you must have the "trenette al pesto".

Enjoy your day!

Shopping for food and wine

2008-08-25T01:23:00.001-07:00

If you are staying at Villa Mimma and are looking for a food store, you have various options. In order of size, from the tiniest to the biggest, here are some ideas, although the best way for you to know the area is to take a drive and see where it takes you:

1 - Treville

There is a butcher with the most wonderful meat, ham and salame (he makes them), ravioli (made only on some days or on order) and a deep freezer with ice-creams, pizzas, vegetable, etc.

Also, there is "La rata birata", which is a wine-bar that serves hot-meals and that also has a small food section with fresh produce such as cheeses, bread, milk, butter and basic provisions. It has also pasta and sauces!

2 - Ozzano (2km from Treville)

If you want a bit more of a choice and some fresh fruit and vegetables, Ozzano is your nearest option. Along the main road that cuts through the village, there is a food store that has everything. It is very small compared to a supermarket, but has all you need.

3 - Supermarkets

Well, for a proper supermarket you are spoilt for choice if you are prepared to drive for 10-15 minutes. You can either go to Casale to the Iper-Coop (a real shopping centre) or you can go towards Asti-Moncalvo and stop at the Penny supermarket, which faces a Gulliver supermarket, where you can find all you need.

Last Minute - €550 week/6people July/August 08

2008-06-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

There are still a few weeks available at Villa Mimma for July/August 2008, some in self-catering accommodation and some in B&B. Lovely base for your holiday with children or to explore Piedmont, Liguria, the Lakes and the Alps. Also, great for golfing, horse riding or simply relaxing!

Amazing offer : €550 for a week for 6 people!

Contact us ASAP if you would like to take advantage of this promotion.

We would love to welcome you in our corner of paradise.

Natural Park of the River Po - Valenza

2008-06-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

I have already written about the river Po and the natural trails that you can enjoy near Vercelli. You can also enjoy the river if you go towards Valenza from Casale Monferrato. We discovered this area because we were particularly interested to find a place where the children could dip their toes in the water without too many dangers.

We stopped at at the bridge over the Po, parking on the Valenza saide of it (be careful to park before the Natural Park sign because you may get a ticket - we did!, although it was only a warning). Here not only you can enjoy strolls along the banks, but you can reach the shore and enjoy the wide pebbly beaches and low water level.

This is a photo taken near the spot that we chose. We were there during a Spring weekly day, when Italian schools were still open so there was only another family on the other side of the river.

The weather was hot and the children enjoyed bouncing flat pebbles in the water. We dipped our toes in the chilly water, but I cannot say if it is safe to swim there as the currents can be quite strong. It was a lovely spot and very easy to find so we are planning anotehr visit at the first occasion.

Harley Davidsons meeting in Piedmont

2008-06-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

There will be a Harley Davidsons meeting in Casale Monferrato on the 6th of July 2008. This is the 5th meeting of this kind in the Monferrato region where the bikes will travel around the villages and stop for refreshments before heading to Casale.

They will pass through Treville too, where they will be offered a glass of wine - cheers!

Villa Mimma will offer 15% discount on the accommodation price for bookings between the 28th of June and the 13th of July 2008 to people attending the meeting.

The Natural Park of the River Po - Fontanetto Po

2008-06-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

The River Po is the largest Otalian River that starts from teh Monviso Mountain in Piedmont and stretches across Northern Italy from the West to the Eastern coast, where it ends in the Adriatic sea.

There are many walks and stretches of the river where you can enjoy peaceful strolls looking for natural beauty spots, searching for animals and plants, dipping your toes in fresh waters.

Here are some photoes to tickle your imagination so that if you are in Piedmont you may want to dedicate one day or half a day to this marvellous part of the region.

You can reach the river Po from Fontanetto Po, on the way to Vercelli. At the beginning of the walk that takes you along one of the banks of the river there is a map to show you where you are and what you can expect to see.

Not far from the end of the road where you can park your car, there is an old water mill with a picnic area where you can find some tables and benches if you want to stop for some refreshments before or at the end of your walk.

Lines of trees are growing along this stretch of the river and you can walk for miles along this sheltered lanes, listening to nature's sounds and the gurgle of the water of the river nearby.

You finally reach the river bank, although here it is not particularly suitable for bathing as the banks are quite steep and covered with wild vegetation.

Festival of the flowers in Piedmont (Italy) - 15th June

2008-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

For the lucky who are in the Piedmont/Monferrato area on Sunday the 15th of June, you may want to take a trip to Cella Monte, near Casale Monferrato.

Cella is a lovely village with all the houses brought back to the original limestone bricks typical of this part of the world. In June they celebrate the fact that Cella Monte is proud of its flower-displays throughout Spring and Summer, so they have a festival dedicated to it. If you can go, do it because it is definitely worth it with many events organised throughout the day as well as the usual Italian music and food/wine.

Also the wineries and the private "infernot" (cellars excavated in the limestone) of the area are open to the public for visits.

Unfortunately the website of Cella Monte doesn't seem to have a detailed programme of the day, but I can assure you that it would be a lovely experience of the Italian life!

Weather - Rainy May!

2008-05-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we cannot say that May has been the usual self this year!
We are used to lovely weeks of sunshine where people can take strolls in the lovely medieval villages that are scattered around the Monferrato hills.
Last week for example it constantly rained and when it stopped it was very cloudy and miserable.
We feel sorry for all those tourists who came to our Piedmont area on holiday in the past week or so and missed on the usual cheerfulness of blooming flowers and bright skylines. We hope you had a good time anyway and that this gives you a reason for coming back another time, when may be you will be luckier with the weather.

La Mandria - Regional Park in Piedmont

2008-05-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

North of Turin, near the hunting palace La Venaria Reale, there is a beautiful regional park called La Mandria certainly worth a visit, especially on a beautiful day. La Mandria was created in the 16th century as a hunting reserve for the Savoy family and also was used as a holiday retreat for the King and his Court. There are several buildings that can be visited, including Royal apartments.

We went just for a couple of hours after visiting La Venaria Reale and we did have a relaxing time indeed. Scattered around the grounds there are farms that have been transformed in restaurants, bars and other attractions. One has a bike-hire facilities so for only a few Euros we got a bike each and pedalled around the park. The children absolutely loved it!

We spent a few minutes at the stables where there were two little foals and a few ponies and horses. We fed them straw that was around the paddocks and loughed at the little ones still struggling to stand steadily on their legs!

We ended up having an aperitif at one of the bars, enjoying the sunshine of 6pm. The children asked for some crisps. Since they didn't have any, compliment of the owner, they served us a massive portion of roasted potatoes with rosemary: delicious!

If I'd known it before, I probably would have spent the day at La Mandria, visiting the various buildings throughout the day. It is a much more child friendly environment than La Venaria Reale as you can have a mixture of sight-seeing and free-running!

Venaria Reale - Turin

2008-05-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

"Venaria Reale" is the hunting residence of the Savoy family between the 16th and 18th century. The palace is set in a magnificent park north-East of Turin, at the edge of hills stretching towards the Alps and covered in woodlands.

The palace was used as an army camp and left in disuse for centuries, but it was restored to its original splendour in the new millennium. The interiors of the palace are quite bare and there is no furniture. Instead, the rooms are hosting an exhibition of paintings and rugs mixed with film and photography art that recreates the court life.

We went with our children who found the palace a little bit boring though! The gardens instead have been also restored and it was lovely to stroll around them on a sunny day.

On a practical note, when you reach Venaria you need to follow the indication for the palace that take you to a side entrance. To your right there is a long road with trees either side if it and entering a gate that indicates "La Mandria" park. You need to park along this road. During the week it is free parking, while at weekend there is a fee to pay. You can then walk to the side entrance of the palace or enter from the gardens. Tickets for the gardens and the palace can be bought jointly or separately.

If you intend to have lunch there, it is better if you take your own lunch. We found the cafe in the gardens to have only a limited choice of sandwiches, especially for children. We also had a coffee and ice-cream in a kiosk by the roses archways.

Recycling... the old way: barrels and gates!

2008-05-15T08:12:00.001-07:00

Do you know how our elders recycled their old wooden barrels?

This is an old wine press that we have in the cellar of Villa Mimma. It is made of wooden slats kept together by metal ribbons.
The wooden slats were used in the wood-burning aga and fire-stoves in the households while the metal ribbons were used to build gates!

This is the front gate of Villa Mimma and it was made using the metal from old barrels.

I've been to Villa Mimma many many times in my life and it was only last April (08) that my Mum told me this fascinating story. So armed with my camera I went in the cellar hunting for barrels and took some fab pictures of a few samples. Then I moved onto the gate.

Taking a closer look, you can see the holes of the original nails and the battered metal that was straightened to make the gate!

You never stop learning!

ADSL comes to Treville

2008-05-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Fantastic news: ADSL is now available in Treville too! It took years of persuasion but now TIM (Telecom Italian Mobile) has decided to reach this part of the world too with a fast Internet connection.

Villa Mimma has off course signed up for it and we are now investigating a Wi-Fi network solutions to allow our guests to connect to the Internet for free. A few thick walls to bypass but it will be soon available!!! So, watch out for any update!

Cold April by the fire!

2008-04-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

We have just come back from a visit to Villa Mimma, from the 12th to the 21st of April. The weather was still quite chilly and rainy, so the kitchen and living areas of Villa Mimma were still warmed up by the old stoves.

Waking up in the morning and lighting up the fires is always magical: the scent of the wood burning, the crackling noise of the flames and the heat that comes from the "terracotta" stove or the old aga in the kitchen are something really special of this old mansion in Treville that I have always loved.

The children are fascinated by this world that is quite far from our everyday life and are following "Nonna Paola" and "Nonno Alberto" with sticks and pieces of papers hoping to be given the chance to be helpful.

And how much fun it is helping "zio Andrea" loading the trolley to refill the stock of logs for the evening. How lucky we are to be able to experience this lifestyle!

Discount & Accommodation - XXIII UIA Congress

2008-04-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

XXIII WORLD ARCHITECTS CONGRESS Torino 2008

The 23rd UIA World Congress will be in Turin from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July.

This is a major international event that takes place every 3 years and this time Turin won the bod for hosting it.

Talks, Main Sessions, Special Sessions, Special Events, Lectio magistralis, large and small exhibitions will all be part of an intense programme over the week, which will see Italian and International experts exchanging the latest knowledge in the field. There will also be a photographic exhibition dedicated to the relationship between photography and architecture. Participants will also have the chance to browse through a well-stocked library dedicated to architectural publishing production.

If you are new to the area why not complementing the conference with a visit to the area of the Basso Monferrato or Monferrato Casalese with the many architectural and natural beauties.

Stay at Villa Mimma (less than an hour's drive from Turin) and receive 15% discount on your stay (2 nights minimum) if you are a UIA participant. Mention this article for obtaining the discount. Proof of registration is necessary. Obviously, if your family/partner/friends are accompanying you to Italy, the discount applies to your group.

Rooms are still available, but hurry if you don't want to miss a unique opportunity.

Breakfast at Villa Mimma B&B

2008-04-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be useful to mention what you can expect for Breakfast when you are coming to stay at Villa Mimma B&B.

Breakfast is served in a lovely room of the house, where you will have your own round table.

A buffet is prepared for you every morning with fresh bread, butter, a selection of ham and salami and some cheese too. As well as savoury things you can count on honey and various jams in individual pots.

Andrea is happy to make you an Italian coffee, but if you prefer an American coffee there is a percolator (simply turn the button on!) or if you fancy a cup of tea you can help yourself with boiling water from the kettle.

There is also a "proper" toaster for some hot toasts. Choose how light or burnt you like them and take control!

Unfortunately we cannot offer cooked eggs or home-made cakes because of the B&B rules in Italy, but croissants and pre-packed pastries will also be available for those with a sweet palate.

If you have any special dietary requirement, do not hesitate to let Paola know and your desires will be satisfied.

Enjoy your mornings at Villa Mimma!

Jazz concerts

2008-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

There is a tradition of Jazz concerts in the Monferrato area.

If you are around in June, there are going to be three concerts in Treville, organised by the council and taking place in the village square, overlooking the hills of the Monferrato. These concerts are on Fridays and on the following dates:

6th of June
13th of June
20th of June

If you are thinking of having a meal before or after the concert, I would recommend the "Ristorante dell'Opera" in Ozzano (2 miles from Treville) or "La Rata Birata", a wine bar that also serves food in Treville (200 yards for the concert area). They have completely different styles, but both worth a visit. L'Opera is a more traditional restaurant and you can also find some truffle dishes most of the time (although the famous white truffles are mainly in Autumn).

The other place where you can enjoy live jazz music is "Le Cave di Moleto", where every Thursday night you can have a traditional dinner at their restaurant (with really lovely wine) and then stay for the jazz concert. This happens throughout the year, with the difference of the location, i.e. it is inside a renovated barn in winter and outside in Spring/Summer time.

Newsletter - April 2008 - Theme holidays, special offers, events

2008-04-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

THEME HOLIDAYS

There are many ways to spend your time while at Villa Mimma, whether you are a sporty person or an art lover. Here are only a few suggestions:
Golfing
Piedmont and the North-West of Italy boast some great golf courses where you can play occasionally.
Imagine swinging your golf club with the Alps in front of you or while strolling in the park of an ancient Italian Villa. Some of the clubs have also swimming pools and club houses where other members of the party could spend the day if they don't want to join the golfers around the golf course.
I have gathered info on quite a few places and published them on Villa Mimma's blog and I will post comments as I receive them. Also, as an incentive to encourage golf holidays, Villa Mimma is offering 10% discount on the accommodation cost - simply mention this at the booking time and present your receipt of the green fee/s at the time of settling the balance.
Tennis
In Treville there is a private tennis court that can be booked hourly or, alternatively, people can gain unlimited access by joining the private club that the owners run. It is a tennis court in earth (not in the peak of its condition but good for a fun match), surrounded by beautiful trees and with a gorgeous view of the hills. The court is mainly used in Spring time, but it is available through the Summer and Autumn months too. Please ask for details at the time of booking your stay.
Cooking with Paola
This is not a cooking course by all means, but you can always enjoy helping Paola preparing an Italian meal that you can then share. Please ask at the booking time if you wish to try this experience.
Wine safari and grapes harvesting
During the harvesting season (September/October) we can arrange for you to enjoy
picking the grapes and making wine. There are various options so it all depends on how keen you are and whether you want to include a wine tasting experience or not. Let us know and we will go through the various possibilities with you.
How is "salame" prepared?
If you are at Villa Mimma when the local butcher is preparing his famous salame, you can go to his atelier and watch the process while it happens! You cannot help because of health and safety reasons, but you are more than welcome to watch....
Bees and beauty - an art altogether.
Near Villa Mimma there is a bee-farm with a factory that produces honey, but also creams and beauty products, all from natural extracts.
Wine tasting.
In Monferrato you are in the heart of a wine country and wine tasting occasions are not to be missed. You can arrange an appointment with one of the local wineries or you can take part in a proper experience guided by a sommelier. Whatever are your wishes, we will try to arrange the right thing for you. Simply ask!
The rice country and the old ways.
Not far from the hills of the Monferrato there are endless rice fields that are like mirrors of water that transform into these infinite green fields when the rice is growing to end up like brown squares after the harvest has finished. Well, about 30 minutes' drive from Villa Mimma there is a museum where they can show you how the rice used to be processed at the beginning of the century, with machinery still operated by the power of a water mill.
Horse Riding.
If stables are what you are after, there are a couple of places within a few kilometres of Villa Mimma where you can go for a ride and possibly a lesson.
Strolling around the Monferrato Casltes .
Giarole and Camino are two of the best preserved castles in the Monferrato region. Thanks to a collaboration with local experts, we can arrange guided day trips to view these castles, normally closed to the public. The day involves quite a lot, including traditional lunch and evening dinners and a horse ride in one of the best stables of North-West Italy. Ask for details if you are interested.
Venaria Reale and the Savoys .
This magnificent palace and the park surrounding it has been recently restored and is now open to the public. The palace, dated back to the XVII century used to be a hunting residence for the Savoy family before it became the country residence of the Royals with the first King in the Savoy dynasty, Vittorio Amedeo II, at the beginning of the XVIII century. It is definitely worth a visit and there is so much to see that you can spend a whole day here.

SPECIAL OFFERS
We have introduced a new special offer for golfers of 10% discount on the accommodation.
Check our website and our offers because we have several discounts for people belonging to different groups or associations (schools in the UK, TCI, ANBBA, Surrey Alumni, etc.)

NEWS FROM TREVILLE
3rd May : The artist Vera Vermeersch will exhibit her carpets and tapestries in Treville. It is an exciting event, so if you are in the area, do try to come to Treville and pay a visit to this unique exhibition.
6th, 13th, 20th June: Jazz concerts on the village square. More details on the programme of each evening will be available nearer the time on the Events page of Villa Mimma's website.

Many thanks again to those who came to Villa Mimma over the past few months and have taken the time to post reviews of their stay! We really appreciate your effort because having online reviews means that new guests can taste our hospitality even before getting to Villa Mimma. Thanks a lot!!!

Buona Pasqua - Happy Easter

2008-03-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

To all of you who are in Italy for Easter Villa Mimma wishes a "Buona Pasqua"!

Discount on accommodation for golfers!

2008-03-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

Latest news: Villa Mimma is offering 10% discount on the accommodation price if guests are coming to Italy to play golf.

Check our Trip Ideas posts for golf courses details.

More about Piedmont golf courses

2008-03-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

There has been a thread about golf courses in Piedmont on the slowtrav website.

Other two golf courses that can be easily reached from Villa Mimma are:

I Girasoli
Location: Carmagnola (90 km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Strada Pralormo, 315 - 10022 Carmagnola (TO)
Telephone: +39 011 9795088
e-mail: info@girasoligolf.it
Holes: 18, Par: 71

This golf corse is designed taking advantage of the natural features of the landscape and you can enjoy beautiful views over the Alps.

La Margherita
Location: Carmagnola (90 km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Strada Pralormo, 29 - 10022 Carmagnola (To) (km da Villa Mimma)
Telephone: 011 9795113 - 011 9795204
email: info@golfclublamargherita.it
Holes: 18

This golf course is also very near Turin and very close to I Girasoli.

Easter Monday: "Pasquetta"

2008-03-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love Easter Monday in Italy. After a day (Easter) spent at home with the family, with a long meal of many courses, "Pasquetta" (Easter Monday) is a day for gatherings and doing things with friends.

When I used to live at the Cinque Terre, about 25 years ago :-(, my Dad used to run the church choir and we had a heavy schedule of performances from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday. So when Easter Monday came, it was a lovely day of "freedom" that we spent going off somewhere with many friends and families for a pic-nick.

This meant that everybody cooked something to share, like cakes and quiches, and we either walked to a sunny spot on the cliffs or we drove to the inland and found a lovely grass area where we could spend the day organising games and having a good lough. A guitar was never left behind so singing all sorts of traditional and pop songs was also part of the fun! Grandparents and grandchildren were joining in - no exclusions.

I must admit, I haven't done this for ages, but it is a lovely way to spend Pasquetta and many people still do so, going off with friends and organising relaxing trips to the countryside.

Golf courses in Piedmont from Villa Mimma

2008-03-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

There are many beautiful golf courses that you can reach from Villa Mimma in 30-60min drive. You could tea off looking at the Alps or at the seaside, admiring Lake Maggiore or the wineyards on the hills of the Monferrato region.

Here are a few suggestions:

Golf Club Margara
Location: Fubine (22km from Treville)
Address: Via Tenuta Margara 25, I-15043 Fubine (AL)
Telephone: +39 131 778 555
Holes: 18, Par: 72
Annual Closure: Mondays

Golf Club La Serra
Location Valenza (35km form Treville)
Address: Via Astigliano 42, I-15048 Valenza
Telephone: +39 131 954 778
Holes: 9
Annual Closure January

Bogogno Golf Club
Location Bogogno (60km from Treville)
Address: Via Sant’Isidoro 1 - 28010 Bogogno (NO)
Telephone +39 322 863 794
Email: circologolfbogogno@tiscali.it - info@circologolfbogogno.com
Holes 36, Par 72
Annual Closure No

“The first work” of the American designer Robert Von Hagge is set amid the splendid scenery of the hills behind Lake Maggiore and already fully merits its inclusion among the best courses in Italy and Europe.

Golf Club Villa Carolina
Location:Capriata d’Orba (63km from Treville)
Address: Via Ovada, 51 - Tenuta Coltella, I-15060 Capriata d'Orba (AL)
Telephone +39 143 467 355
Email: golfvillacarolina@tiscalinet.it
Holes 27

Description: “Hic dulcis canitur - Here one grows old gracefully”.
This is the first message one sees on entering the magical peacefulness of Villa Carolina. Bria Silva designed the course taking into account the wonderful hilly nature of the place.

Circolo Golf Torino
Location: Fiano Torinese (73km from Treville)
Address: Via Agnelli, 40, 10070 FIANO T.SE (TO)
Telephone: +39 11 923 5440
Email: info@circologolftorino.com
Holes 36, Par 72
Annual Closure Mondays

The Turin Golf Club was founded back in 1957 in the grounds of “La Mandria”, once the hunting estate of the House of Savoy and now a natural park. Within the club grounds there are two different 18-hole courses set in the ancient woods of the park and furrowed by natural streams that create many suggestive views.

Golf Club Colline del Gavi
Location Tassarolo (80km from Treville)
Address: Strada Provinciale, 2, I-15060 Tassarolo
Telephone: +39 143 342 264
Holes 18, Par 73
Annual Closure January

Golf dei Laghi
Location: Varese (80km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Via Trevisani 926 - 21028 Travedona Monate (Varese)
Telephone: +39-0332-978101 Fax: +39-0332-977532
e-mail: info@golfdeilaghi.it
Holes: 18
Annual closure: January

Eighteen holes set among a wood, pools of water, the backdrop of the Prealps and the majestic horizons dominated by Monte Rosa. Golf dei Laghi is definitely one of the most interesting courses among those recently in the limelight in Italian golfing.

Online Italian Recipes

2008-02-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

Many of my friends ask me about food and "real" Italian recipes, so I have decided to publish a few online as time allows.
I normally jot down a few instructions on pieces of papers but in this way they are online for all :-)
So, if you are a keen cook and wish to see what my suggestions are, please visit my recipes, on my personal blog designed with the Web&Blog technology! Fantastic!

Boat trips to the Riviera and accommodation in Piedmont

2008-02-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me that people may not realise that it is possible in a day to go to the Riviera from the Monferrato region and spend the day along the shore in a nice boat, enjoying the sunshine and the seaside, while keeping the base for the accommodation in Piedmont.

I am trying to put together some possible practical itineraries for you to consider. In the meantime, if you have any particular request about boat trips do not hesitate to get in touch with me (Claudia) at claudia@villamimma.com or drop a comment to this post.

Watch out this space!

Women's day - La festa della donna

2008-02-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

The 8th of March is not far away and Italy recognises that it is the International Women's Day. Thanks to slowtrav.com community, I just discovered its historical origins and I have been humbled by the significance of this day, that I have certainly underestimated in the past.

Today, I doubt that generally people know where "La festa della donna" started from.

According to Wikipedia:

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

If you continue reading, the website gives the historical origins of this commemoration:

The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. By urban legend, women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting what they saw as very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.

It is a tradition in Italy to give a yellow mimosa to women on the 8th of March. It is a beautiful scented flower, theat is in bloom early in Spring. Unfortunately this day si now becoming a celebration like Valentine's day, and the social and political reasons behind its historical origin are often forgotten.

Attedning a wedding: advice

2008-02-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

I read various threads on slowtrav.com about attending a wedding in Italy and what it is "proper" and what is not. Things are evolving and differ between regions but here is my advice:

OUTFIT: Although it is becoming more popular to get married in the afternoon with evening reception, morning ceremonies are still very popular. I would never wear a black or white dress at a morning wedding, nor in the evening, unless specifically requested. You may ask and people may do it, but it is considered "tacky".

GIFT: Wedding lists ("Lista nozze" ) are quite popular and they are the easiest way to please the bride and groom without worrying about what you can get them. The amount of money that you spend is totally up to you. There is no fashion and there is no link to what the wedding reception costs at all. If you are travelling from abroad and attending an Italian wedding, a token from your Country may be the best idea. Consider that your Italian friends will know that you are committing quite a bit of money to attend the wedding in terms of travel arrangements, so they won't expect you to go OTT - unless you can afford it!

TOASTS: Italian wedding receptions do not evolve around a specific scheme, like in England where the speeches have a specific format and have to be of a certain length. There are no such a thing like speeches and people just sit and chat all the time. If there are lively groups of friends or cousins, people may end up cheering the bride and groom or asking for a "bacio" (kiss) towards the end of the meal, but nothing formal and always very spontaneous.

Tapestries and Carpets by Vera Vermeesch

2008-01-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

The Belgian artist Vera Vermeesch has now got a house in Treville where she comes several times a year. At the beginning of May Vera will bring some of her items to exhibit in Treville. Details to come so watch this space for more information!

Self-catering in Piedmont - survey

2008-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

It has accurred to me that our self-catering apartments seem to be more popular than the B&B rooms with foreigners. I wonder if it is because of the slow travelers coming to the Monferrato region, who like cooking and living at home away from home or if there is any other reason.

I would love if people left a note here about what are the reasons for booking a self-catering accommodation instead of a B&B or a hotel. Things I can think of are:

1) I love to feel at home away from home.
2) Self-catering if more economical in teh long run.
3) Self-catering is more flexible.
4) Other - please specify.

Pleeeeeease, do write your views!

Wine Tasting in Monferrato - Piedmont - Italy

2008-01-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

We have put together an exciting experience of wine tasting and food sampling, thanks to a collaboration with local experts!

Participants will visit four of the most prestigious wineries of the Monferrato region (Piedmont, Italy), see their cellars and their "infernot" (caves excavated in the limestone and unique to this area, where the wine is stored), while learning the characteristics of the wines of the region from a professional sommelier ... and off course tasting local products - well in tune with the Italian mentality of wine always accompanying food.

This unique programme includes:
- Tours of the four wineries;
- Wine and food for three nights;
- A sit-down meal with entartainment for the fourth night;
- Accommodation in double/twin room at Villa Mimma. Single room upgrade available - price on request.

All of this for €360 per person (minimum 5 people, maximum 15).

This experience can be organised any time during the year for groups of a minimum of 5 people. In the meantime, we are proposing the following dates:

18th - 22nd March 2008 (closing date for registration 4th March)

Nativities exibition still on!

2008-01-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

"The cellar of the nativities" at Villa Mimma is still on until the end of January. Visits on appointment only - tel. 0142 487953 or email info@villamimma.com .

Piedmont under the snow!

2008-01-03T14:43:00.001-08:00

It is all white again and it looks like it is snowing more, putting down that fine thin snow that really sticks and lasts. It is a bit inconvenient but most magical!

Lentils with peppers!

2008-01-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

I cooked lentils and "Zampone" for new year's eve. I decided to add a quarter of a finely chopped pepper to my usual recipe and the lentils tasted delicious!!! Worth keeping it in mind for next year.

New Year's traditions...

2007-12-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

Traditions are very regional in Italy, so here is what I have grown up with since I was a little girl. Most of these "rules" belong to the North of Italy:

1 - Eat some grapes to bring you good luck! Grapes is out of season by now and it is supposed to bring good luck to those who manage to find some. Obviously now-a-days it is available most of the time as it is imported. Try to find some Italian grapes though ;-)

2 - Eat some lentils as they are supposed to bring you lots of money: the more you eat the better it is! If you never cooked lentils before, make sure you buy the precooked ones or check on the packet how long you need to put them in cold water for before cooking them. Need a recipe? Let me know!

3 - The zampone is a "must" on the table. A bit strong and greasy for some, but lovely with the lentils. I would suggest to get it from a proper butcher and ask for the cooking time.

4 - Wear some new red underwear!!! This was a typical sister-to-sister Christmas present :-) If you look in the shops you'll find plenty of "tacky" red pants and nickers with good luck messages for the new year. You can also find more refined items if you wish to spend a bit more. Just a fun tradition!

5 - Turn the radio on for the final count-down to midnight and make sure you are next to your beloved one for the first kiss of the new year!

Have fun wherever you are and may 2008 bring you all you wish for!

Newsletter - December 2007

2007-12-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

Villa Mimma: overview of the year

...another year has passed and our guest book is filled with new messages from people from all over the World, who chose Villa Mimma as their accommodation in Piedmont. They came from Japan, New Zealand, Israel, the UK, Australia, Canada, USA, France, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Cape Vert, Russia, Panama, and Italy. I hope I haven't missed any! We had some lovely messages and many artists. Check our online guest book and enjoy your reading as well as the lovely drawings.

Highlights of the year are too many to recount, but here are some:

"Riso & Rose"
Once again Villa Mimma took part in "Riso & Rose", the spring festival that involves all the Monferrato villages through May. This year we had several exhibitors of craftsmanship and paintings. It was again a successful day with several people visiting the courtyard and all our guests certainly enjoyed the typical Italian village festival atmosphere.
Tennis fun
Thanks to Shane's love for tennis, we got in touch with Mr. Luigi Boltri who owns a tennis court in Treville and went to have a few games there. It is only 10 minutes walk from Villa Mimma and if our guests want to play, Mr. Luigi is happy to have people around. He runs a small club to keep it going, but the fees are really reasonable.
Paola & Alberto 40th wedding anniversary
Well, believe it or not, Elena, Andrea and I managed to organise a surprise party for our parent's 40th wedding anniversary. We invited friends from all over the place and asked them to turn up at Church on a specific Sunday. We even managed to prepare the veranda with tables and chairs on the Saturday when by chance our parents were away for the whole day and keep it all secret. It was really emotional when they realised what was going on. It was a gorgeous day and we couldn't be more blessed! Thanks to everybody who put up with it all, those who came from quite a distance and especially a warm thanks to all who helped.
Grapes harvesting with Isabella and Lorenzo
Grape harvesting or the "vendemmia" has always been a great memory for me as a child. I remember going to my Grandad’s vineyards on the tractor and spend what seemed like hours helping cut grapes - and also eating them! This year, while organising my parent's party, we got in touch again with a dear friend, Isabella, who invited us to visit Lorenzo's organic vineyard for an afternoon of late-season grape harvesting. The children absolutely LOVED it and kept filling more and more baskets, up and down the lines, with black marks on their hands and faces. Lorenzo was great with them and when we had done enough picking - more than expected, he showed us how to "make the wine": the children even tasted it! We ended the afternoon warming up by a massive wood-burning fireplace, with some delicious salame (i.e., the Italian for salami) from the area and Isabella's "focaccia ligure", while tasting some of Lorenzo's unique wines (he is actually studying and experimenting with organic grapes in the Asti region). It was certainly a great day!
Cooking with Paola
Italian hosting nature is in my Mum's blood and she cannot resist from sharing an Italian meal with our guests when the occasion arises, sometimes giving away some of the basic cooking secrets (e.g., not too much garlic!), while preparing dinner together. So, it seems to become a recurrent theme the hand-making of "gnocchi" and "malfatti", with my Mum's "magic book" becoming whiter and whiter from the flour. This is certainly not a cooking class, but a lovely way to welcome people from all over the world, who have chosen to stay with us instead of all the other possible places in Italy.

Reviews are important
Thank you to those of our guests who took some time to write a review of their stay at Villa Mimma. Whether it is a line or a full account of their vacation or just a photo and a comment, it does help. Take your time to read what they say about us and if you have a spare minute maybe add your comments too:

Trip Advisor Website (you need to register)

Slow Travel (you need to register)

Italia Dream (Italian website)

Homelidays (you need to register)

Looking forward to next year
The year 2008 is starting with an event straight away: "La cantina dei presepi" (The cellar of the nativities) is opened again to the public with new creations by Andrea. It has been cited amongst other Italian presepi (nativities) in a national brochure. This year we will lengthen the time it is possible to view the nativities to the end of January, although only by appointment from the 6th of January onward.

At the end of March we are proposing again "Le quattro serate dell'Infernot" (The four evenings of the infernot". Each evening a party of minimum 5 people is introduced to the secrets of wine making by visiting major wineries in the Monferrato region. Wine tasting with a professional sommelier is accompanied by food, with a final evening at a proper restaurant where entertainment will also be arranged. If you are thinking of a special long weekend with friends, consider that this is a really excellent and unique opportunity (it can be arranged at different times too). Do not hesitate to ask for further details.

The month of May will see us busy again with "Riso & Rose", although plans are going to be clarified later on in the year. It is normally the second or third weekend in May. Keep an eye on our website for further news.

Finally, we are always open to new ideas and initiatives to make Villa Mimma a special place. Please do get in touch if you have any particular need that you would like to be met while on holiday.

Special offers
If you are thinking of coming to Villa Mimma next year (2008), you may be pleased to know that we have decided to freeze our apartments' prices through the next season!

Check our website and our offers because we have several discounts for people belonging to different groups or associations (families who have children in schools in the UK, TCI, ANBBA, Surrey Alumni, etc.)

I think I have summarised an exciting 2007 year for Villa Mimma. We are now looking forward to the festivities and the year to come.

From Paola, Alberto and Andrea I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008!

Claudia

Nebbia by Daniele Finzi-Pasca

2007-12-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Last October we organised a surprise party for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary at Villa Mimma. As part of the surprise I tried to get in touch with all my pareents' friends and one in particular was Fabrizia Pasca, who used to be a very dear friend of my Mum in her youth.

I managed to find her and she stayed at Villa Mimma for a couple of days, with my Mum's greatest delight because it was over 15 years since they saw each other. Fabrizia's son, Daniele Finzi Pasca, is a great artist and theatre director and has just launched his latest production called "Nebbia" (Fog) in Geneva, last weekend.

My parents and my sister's family went to see the show and they were really enthusiastic because the message is lovely and deep. The music and the coreography allow the adults to enter in a magical world, while the children are fascinated by the circus acts.

Daniele met with my family after the show and said that he will be coming to the UK in a couple of years time. In the meantime he will be touring Italy and the world, so take some time to check the website of the Sunil Theatre and in particular take some time to read about Nebbia.

If you have been to see the show, please do post your comments as I am really looking forward to taking my family to see it too.

The tradition of Nativities at Christmas

2007-12-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

As Christmas approaches, I though it would be nice to say a few words about the tradition of preparing Nativity scenes for Christmas, which is a real thing in Italy, but also in Germany, Austria and I believe in Switzerland too.

This tradition was born in Italy when in 1223 when Francis of Assisi met a noble man called Giovanni Graccio who asked him how he could follow our Lord. Francis told him to prepare for Christmas, so Giovanni decided to prepare a real stable. Many were coming to see the stable, so Francis asked the Pope permission for introducing a new rite to celebrate Christmas. He sent for a priest and while there, amongst the hey, the ox and the donkey, with the many people who had turned up, they celebrated Mass.

Francis sang the Gospel and after it - while really emotionally involved in the story of Christmas - he said "This is the night when God makes himself small like a baby at his mother's breast" and then he started to speak like a toddler himself. The crowd saw Francis holding a wonderful baby in his arms and that miracle was source of peace for many. Other miracles are narrated and reported, which are associated with this event.

Today at Christmas every church and house has a nativity scene or "Presepio". Much time is dedicated to make this representation of the nativity special every year and there are also exhibitions like the one at Villa Mimma ("La cantina dei presepi") that open to the public for most of December and January.

Grapes Harvesting

2007-12-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

I always thought that Grapes harvesting was something for September/mid October at the latest, but when we went to Villa Mimma during the end of October half term School Holidays we had a great surprise and managed to help a friend with one of his latest crops of organic grapes!!!

It was a beautiful day and we could see the Alps and in particular the pointy top of the Monviso mountain where the River Po starts and that you can admire from most of the Monferrato.

We started with a couple of hours harvesting. I remembered going to pick the grapes when i was little in my Grandfather's vineyards near Villa Mimma, but I was worried that my three boys (aged 9, 7 and 6) would have got bored. I was surprised to see how much effort they put into it and how much fun we had.

Leonardo and Isabella, our friends, really treated us to a lovely afternoon because after the hard work we went to the cellar and pressed some of the grapes that were picked a couple of days earlier - I learnt that one of the tips of organic wine making is to leave the grapes to die completely for a couple of days, hence we could not press the one we picked ourselves.

Anyway, we had great fun watching the cores being spat out by the machine and the kids thought they were drinking wine when they were given the juice off a massive "dustpan" type of thing :-)

As it wasn't enough yet, we went to see what was happening in the big "botti" and the kids climbed up the ladder to go and look inside to their delight.

Tired and hungry at 7pm we had a "merenda" of "salame", "focaccia" and the most delicious onion quiche that you could have ever tasted, all made by Isabella, accompanied by a couple of Lorenzo's delicious organic wines.

As soon as I have some photos reformatted, I'll post a few for everybody to envy! It was a lovely time and a grate memory for me.

The four evenings of the infernot

2007-10-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have put together an exciting experience of wine tasting and food sampling, thanks to a collaboration with local experts!

There are not many other chances to visit four of the most prestigious wineries of the Monferrato region, see their cellars and their infernot, excavated in the limestone and unique to this area, while learning the characteristics of the wines of the region from a professional sommelier ... and off course tasting local products - well in tune with the Italian mentality of food accompanying wine.

It may seem expensive, but this programme includes the tours of the wineries, wine and food for four nights, of which the last one is a sit-down meal in a restaurant linked with a winery and during which you will enjoy also entertainment.

We have decided to propose some dates but this experience can be organised any time during the year for groups of a minimum of 5 people.

At the moment our proposed dates are:
7th - 11th November 2007 (closing date 22nd October)
18th - 22nd March 2008 (closing date 4th March)

Newsletter - December 06

2007-01-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

Villa Mimma: overview of the year
Well... as the end of the year 2006 approaches, I feel quite satisfied with what we have achieved this year!

We opened the B&B in January and started off with a great success during the winter Olympics. A heavy snow fall threatened to complicate matters, but in the end it gave way to the sunshine which accompanied most of February. All our guests had a great time at the Games and enjoyed their stay with us. Most of their testimonials are still live on http://www.villamimma.com/testimonials.html

In March we had the porch converted and restored to a beautiful area which can now host events, meetings and parties, although Villa Mimma will remain mainly a relaxing and peaceful place for holidays.

May was a lovely month with the "Riso&Rose" festival. The weather was definitely on our side again and the exibition had a great success. The photos are so nice that they are still on our website if you haven't seen them yet.

From May we started to have a stream of guests from all over the world, from families with young and old kids to couples and groups of friends.

A great success was also our "tagliatelle" making session with Ottavia, who masters the art of doing this pasta all by hand! I remember trays and trays of tagliatelle that she had made for my Nan (and for us of course!) when occasions saw the whole family gathering at Villa Mimma. Our first guinea-pigs were Andrew and his friends from New Zeland. The evening ended up with a lovely meal all together, a tour of Villa Mimma's cellar and a piano concert by my dad in the painted drawing room! James and Helen from the UK and Esther and Richard from the Republic of Panama had a go at it as well. Unfortunately my dad wasn't there so they missed the piano concert bit, but they thoroughly enjoyed the evening too.

Helen and James had a go at grape harvesting too. We arranged for them to join one of the local producers for a morning, but they could have done the whole day... It all depends on how fit you are because grape harvesting can be quite tiring. This year the harvesting season started late so we could not arrange this experience for our guests at the beginning of September. It's a nice thing to do but it's always a last minute one too!

September was quite busy in terms of events. One thing a bit out of the ordinary was that the Parish Priest of Treville, Don Franco, celebrated his 60 years of Mass and the village organised a trip to Cannobio, at the top of Lake Maggiore, with a boat trip across the entire length of the lake. Lunch and a special celebration for Don Franco were organised in the renouned Sanctuary of the Most Holy Pieta'. Our guests, Julie and Graham from the UK, and Jean and Ginette from Canada, joined the trip too and happily mixed up with the locals! This time the weather unfortunately was quite wet, but the fun was not spoiled!

Now that Christmas is approaching we are looking forward to decorate one of the trees in the courtyard to be our Christmas tree and to be able to open Villa Mimma for people who wish to see Andrea's Nativity scenes.

"La cantina dei presepi" - January 2007

2007-01-04T01:25:00.000-08:00

If you are in Piedmont before next Sunday (7th of January 2007) do not miss the opportunity to come to Villa Mimma to view "La cantina dei presepi" ("The cellar of the nativities"), a unique exhibition of nativity scenes set in our 300 years old cellar. Andrea Gandini is the author. He has collected figurines for years and the scenes are using traditional Neapolitan statues as well as Egyptian and South American ones. With his extravagant ideas, Andrea created a touching nativity scene with old wine bottles that you won't find anywhere else!