What is Serralunga d'Alba known for?

14th-century French donjon built by the Falletti from 1340, the best-preserved noble castle of its period in Piemonte. One of the eleven Barolo communes, source of structured Nebbiolo cru including Vigna Rionda, Lazzarito and Francia. Vineyards inscribed in 2014 as part of the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont (Langhe-Roero and Monferrato).

Where is Serralunga d'Alba?

Serralunga d'Alba is a comune in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region of Italy, about 76 kilometers from Torino.

Piedmont · Cuneo

Serralunga d'Alba

A 527-inhabitant Barolo cru villageon a Langhe ridge, crowned by a 14th-century French-style donjon castle of the Falletti.

76 km / 47 mi

Nearest hub (Torino)

527

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Città del Vino

Why come

Serralunga d'Alba sitson a long thin Langhe ridge, fifty-five kilometers southeast of Torino in the centre of the Barolo DOCG. The Falletti family of Asti, merchants and bankers, acquired the territory and rebuilt the castle between 1340 and 1357 under Pietrino and his son Goffredo II, demolishing an earlier tower to put up a French-style donjon, vertical and narrow, unusual for Italy and built to read at a distance. The castle was always more administrative than military: a control point over the productive land of the Langhe rather than a fortress. It is considered the best-preserved fourteenth-century noble castle in Piemonte. The surrounding vineyards entered the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont in 2014, recognised across Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. Serralunga gives its name to one of the most structured Barolo expressions: cru like Vigna Rionda, Lazzarito and Francia produce wines built for two decades of cellar.

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Gallery

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Known for

Castello di Serralunga d'Alba
Best-preserved 14th-century noble castle in Piemonte, built 1340 to 1357 by the Falletti on a French donjon plan, vertical and slim above the ridge.
Borgo lungo il crinale
Linear village of stone houses along the narrow Langhe ridge, with a single main street running from the castle to the parish church.
Parrocchiale di San Sebastiano
Parish church on the ridge below the castle, with a baroque interior on a simpler medieval plan, the religious centre of the borgo.
Vigneti del Barolo UNESCO
Serralunga slopes hold cru like Vigna Rionda, Lazzarito and Francia, part of the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont since 2014.

Signature product

Barolo DOCGDOCG

Barolo commune on the eastern ridge, known for the most structured, longest-aging wines of the zone.

See every town in our catalogue producing Barolo DOCG.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June is the green window across the Barolo ridges: vines in leaf, mild evenings, the castle terrace open onto a clear line of cru. July and August touch the mid-thirties on the south-facing slopes; the borgo thins between two and five and the cantine close in the afternoon heat. September and October are the Nebbiolo harvest, when Serralunga's narrow main street fills with tractors and pickers and the wineries open their doors. November brings the truffle market trade in nearby Alba and a quieter, foggier register in the cellars. December through March is cold and often clear at altitude; the castle keeps reduced winter hours and the cru go dormant.