Harley Davidsons meeting in Piedmont

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.

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

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!

Discount & Accommodation - XXIII UIA Congress

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.

Jazz concerts

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.

Tapestries and Carpets by Vera Vermeesch

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!

Nebbia by Daniele Finzi-Pasca

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

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.

The four evenings of the infernot

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)

"La cantina dei presepi" - January 2007

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!