Our tour to discover Benevello starts from the “Funtanin” (A). The little fountain set at the village entrance is adorned with a fresco by Luigi Carbone, a painter from the near village of Lequio Berria. It was realized by the “pro loco” association in 1976 to take advantage of the local water source.

We walk towards the village center until we reach the panoramic point of the Strada Romantica (B). From the top of the square, we can admire the beautiful landscape consisting of vineyards and hazelnut trees. In the main square we find the Castle and the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli.

The Castle (C) was commissioned by the Falletti marquises in the 15^th century to control the underneath road leading to Alba, but during the years it turned into a noble country residence. It was bought by St. Francesco Faà di Bruno in 1881 and had social aims since then. The shape of the old castle is still recognizable (see two large round towers connected by a central body to a large moat). Nowadays the castle hosts a drug rehabilitation center, where the guests take care of the building and the garden. For this reason, the castle is not open to visitors. However, it has been a few years since an open art exhibition takes place in the garden during the patron saint’s festival.

Near the castle stands the church of San Pietro in Vincoli (D). Originally the church was near the old cemetery but it was demolished in 1928 and rebuilt in the center of the village. The actual façade is made of bricks and rocks with a rose window in the middle and is flanked by a 18^th century bell tower. Inside there’s a beautiful coffered vault and a painting depicting Jesus on the cross surrounded by the landscape of Benevello, which was created by Luigi Carbone. In the church there is a painting of Luigi Vigolungo, a former inhabitant of Benevello, as well.

Walking along via Scuole, once we’ve passed the castle, we notice an ancient sundial (E) whose origins are still unknown.

We continue outside the village on the road (“provinciale”) 106 towards Bossolasco and we stop at the little church of Santissima Annunziata, best known as church of the Madonna di Langa (F), demolished and rebuilt in 1923. Legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi prayed here during his trip towards Liguria. This location is also well-known due to its perfect panoramic position.

Going forward into the hills, we are surrounded by hazelnut trees, whose fruit is the Tonda Gentile Trilobata, a special hazelnut variety that is cultivated in the area of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. It is also known as Nocciola Piemonte IGP and is recognized as the best in the World. Its quality is due to its taste and aroma and the round shape.

In Bric Overo locality the trail winds through a fresh undergrowth. The land is rich of clay and arenaceous sediments which date back to the Miocene and Pliocene era. The Berria stream flows from Lequio along this valley and our trail. In the valley floor we can observe a still working historic water mill (G) from the 19^th century.