GTL - Grande Traversata delle Langhe - Stage 9B: Cerreto Langhe - Arguello

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Highlights and tour details

Continuation of the previous route, this GTL variant ideally draws its ring route, stopping at Arguello, a small village not to be missed.

Beyond the parish church of Schellino, the village of Cerretto Langhe enjoys a spectacular view and preserves a small country chapel, just as romantic as that of Arguello, dedicated to San Giuseppe. Not to forget, the 17^th century Shrine of Cerretta, on the other side of the ridge, the one towards Barolo, practically cut out against the Monviso. Awesome!

Finally, not to be missed, for the fans of Ugo Foscolo and Edgar Lee Masters the small country cemetery located in front of Arguello, one of the last remaining in the Langhe, with the headstones in earth and the dry stone wall to guarantee “eternal peace”: with that of Castelletto di Monforte it is the best preserved.

The route resumes in piazza Sottana, where you go right into the narrow via Soprana reaching, by now outside the village, the provincial road that takes to the Belbo torrent. Descend on wide bends on paved ground until you go passed an old farmhouse, with a beautiful porch. You leave behind a municipal trail (yellow and orange markings) and, after 200 metres, abandon the paved road to follow the dirt road that descends to the left, skirting an evident concrete retaining wall. The route bends again to the left and, skirting a cropland, descend into the wood, sloping gently for a first section, then along several fun bends of the old cart track, still cobbled, which allows to descend in a short time until almost on paved road.

Having reached a wider dirt road (yellow and orange markings), follow it to the right on flat ground to the paved road. Turn left and descend as far as the junction for Arguello. Climb via Vittorio Emanuele for a steep section and, at the first bend, the dirt trail climbs to the right. After a very steep section, the dirt track descends for a few metres, to then climb to the left at a junction. Passed a small hazelnut grove, continue on a gravel road, again to the left, with a very scenic view of the Belbo Valley to reach the hamlet of Arditau. Leave the paved road and follow the steep cobbled street to the right. After passing in front of the Church of San Frontiniano, it climbs to the houses of Arguello coming out briefly in the main square of the small centre.

There it is, perched on a spur overhanging the Belbo, the miniscule village of Arguello. In the Langhe, everyone calls it “the cuckoo’s village” because it is said that there is so much silence that you can clearly hear the call of the friendly bird who loves to lay its eggs in the nests of others …Arguello is an open balcony on the wildest part of the Belbo Valley, twin of the identical balcony on which Cerretto stands. The two villages look at each other and both are reflected on the opposite slope where the line of Castino, Bosia and Cravanzana constitutes the green horizon. With Cerretto, it also shares the tradition of Elastic Football, which here offers a classic variation of the Langhe: the curved field! Since the game was played (and it is often still played) in squares more than in ballgame centres, each village had its pitch which varied in shape and size, with rules and exceptions given by the place. And so in the tiny village of Arguello, with a square proportionate to the rest, they played on a pitch that was not straight.

Attractions

Arguello : Chris Bangle's Big Bench

Other information

Source: Unione Montana Alta Langa
Itinerary code: GTL
Recommended period: Apr - Nov
Access by public transport: Yes
Classification: Medium and low mountain provincial
Provinces crossed: Langhe Monferrato e Roero