CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

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

Excursions and photography

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

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).

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/

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

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!

Riso & Rose 2009 - festival of the arts

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

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.

First snow: ready for skiing!

The first snow has fallen - heavy and thick!

If it stays it will be a white Christmas!

September in festival - Food and Wine

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

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!

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!