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).

When is the best time to visit Serralunga d'Alba?

Apr–Oct. 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.

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.

How do I get to Serralunga d'Alba?

From Torino, Serralunga d'Alba is roughly 76 km by road.

Piedmont · Cuneo

Serralunga d'Alba

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

Known for

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

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: San Sebastiano, terza Domenica di Agosto

Why come

Serralunga d'Alba sits on 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.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Serralunga d'Alba’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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What to see

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.

The slow-trip planner

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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.

Living here

Population 527
Commuter belti
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Nearest airport Turin, 1 h 22 min drive
Regional capital Torino, 1 h 4 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

Città del Vino

The numbers

Elevation: 414 m
Population: 527
Surface area: 8.39 km²

On the map

Google Maps Apple Maps Directions from Torino

These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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