What happens when you live in a small village, which has a breathtaking beauty, full of ancient and important history, in your small town (which once counted 1200 souls) was born an important navigator who discovered a gateway between the Pacific Ocean and  the Atlantic in the distant North Sea, the one commonly called today “Northeast passage“,  do you have a winery that produces wines of the highest quality, famous worldwide, but despite this you find yourself having to count only 230 people who continue to live there and an irreverent journalist almost mocks the village “considering it a dead place where only ghosts survive”?

It depends, if you are like unfortunately many others, you seriously think of joining the long line of people who leave, or you decide to participate in the fashion of our times, that is,  sell houses for “one Euro” to repopulate them, but if you are Cesarina Boccaccio (Rosalba for everyone) and you are no longer old enough to  change your life taking a suitcase and running away and not even the age to  wait decades to see your depopulated village, you invent the “babaci”.

WHAT ARE “BABACI”?

In the dialect of the region, we are in the Langhe, at the border between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria, in the heart of Piemonte, “Babaci” means “Puppets“.

So “Rosalba“, helped by many volunteers and enthusiastic about the idea, begins to create a puppet to put in front of the house, a “babacio” that represents a person and a job that she remembered well. Then another, then another and therefore 130 puppets (sorry, “babaci”) liven up the streets of Maranzana at this very moment.

And so, almost without believing it, now Maranzana is not only famous for producing great wines, and is part of the circuit of wine municipalities.

On a hill, at an altitude of around 400 metres, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding vineyards. The old town is characterized by narrow cobbled streets and ancient stone buildings, including the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo, dating from the 18th century.

Maranzana is known for its production of an aromatic white wine known as Moscato d’Asti. Moscato d’Asti di Maranzana is especially appreciated for its fresh, intense and fruity aroma, and is often associated with desserts and desserts.

In addition to viticulture, the economy of Maranzana is also based on agriculture, with the cultivation of cereals, fruits and vegetables. 

Maranzana is a quiet and suggestive place, ideal for those looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and want to immerse themselves in the nature and culture of the Piedmont region.

But from today you can go out on the street and you can find not only characters from the past, settled where they spent their days, but also some celebrities, such as the “babaci” of Queen Elizabeth, sitting smiling on the threshold of Mrs. Rosalba’s house, where they certainly keep each other company, when the days are short and tourists rare.

When you walk through the streets of Maranzana you no longer feel  alone, because the “babaci” have managed to revive the  corners of the village and walking you seem to have known these inhabitants of the past. 

Every year new characters arrive and moreover their clothing changes during the year, it depends on the period and depends on what is collected in donations that are now continuous and increasingly interesting.

There are currently 40 stations where you can find the old characters of the village. Under the Castle that dates back  to about 1200, there is the orchestra that once animated Maranzana and then we remember the English shipowner who came here every year to spend his summer holidays and the patrons of the bar who returned from the countryside or the corner where the youngest met to smoke their first cigarette secretly and then there is the winemaker of the cellar with the actress who had settled in the village outside the winery still Attiva and the two carabinieri at the entrance of the village, where they did the checks in times when people traveled more with the cart and the bicycle and cars were very rare.

Making the list of all the “babaci” is impossible and then I absolutely do not want to take away the emotion and joy of spending a few hours in total relaxation, enjoying these puppets with a cheerful and carefree face and admire the passage that can be enjoyed on the hills that seem drawn on the computer, but which instead are real and so spectacular that Monviso,  The Matterhorn and Monte Rosa that can be seen in the distance, make a frame that for photography lovers is almost a paradise, more than just a small village.

HOW TO GET TO MARANZENA?

By plane:

The nearest airport to Maranzana is Turin-Caselle Airport, which is about 100 km away. From here you can rent a car or take a train to Asti station and then take a bus to Maranzana.

By train:

The nearest railway station to Maranzana is Asti, which is about 20 km away. From Asti station, you can take a bus to Maranzana.

By car:

Maranzana can be reached by car from the A21 (Turin-Piacenza) and A33 (Asti-Cuneo) motorways. The nearest motorway exit is Asti Est. From the town of Asti, follow the indications to Nizza Monferrato and then to Maranzana.

From Alessandria you can easily reach it by car taking the direction for Mombaruzzo (famous for its macaroons) and from there are only a few kilometers away.

By bus:

Maranzana is connected to other cities in the region by bus. Bus companies depart mainly from Asti and Nizza Monferrato.

WHERE TO STAY?

In the middle of the Village there is “Ma che bel Castello“, a farmhouse that has three suites overlooking the hills and that has a restaurant that serves you the best dishes in the area.

Beyond the  “Babaci”?

Two things above all: The Museum of Giacomo Bove, to learn more about this important international navigator, born in Maranzana and then the visit to the Cantina di Maranzana, where you can taste white and red wines and sparkling wines of the highest level, see its creation and then, if you want, take home a case of wine to proudly show to friends during dinner where you will talk enthusiastically about this visit in this surprising Piedmontese village.