Monferrato
Hidden in the hazy and magical atmosphere of Monferrato, near the Langhe hills in Piedmont Region, a special laboratory owned and led by a single family, the Nicola, restores the most important art masterpieces in Italy and, possibly, the whole world.
When I first visited the Nicola family in Aramengo, I was shown around the laboratory where they keep thousands of natural pigments, to match the colours of original paintings, brushes and the most updated and precise technology to investigate the pieces. The only other reality that could compete with their unique expertise is the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (National Restoration Center) in Rome, financed by the Italian Government.
Tiziano, Tintoretto, the golden boat that used to carry the king of Italy from the capital of those times, Turin, to Venezia along the Po river: in this beautiful village house on the border with a private wood (where the old patriarch, Guido Nicola, used to go searching for truffle with his dog), many of the most precious and famous pieces of art from the Egyptian mummies to the Renaissance masters have spent their convalescence in the last 40 years.
The house where the family still lives is near the huge yet secretive (disguised in a thick ivy wrap) laboratory. The feeling that you get walking through their garden is the perfect example of blending tradition and innovation, between the aroma of roasted chestnuts and the light of computer screens flashing from the end of 20th-century's floor to ceiling windows.
Feeling inspired? Plan your adventure.
Here the Nicola family welcomes very good friends and some guests that can book a private tour through their magical working and living place. Security issues prevent them from opening their doors to general visitors, but the Nicola family is very generous when you get to know them and their amazing story better.
Nicola Restauri: via Giuseppe Mazzini. 8, Aramengo. Tel. +39 (0141) 909125
And during truffle season...
In November, the height of the truffle season, I like to stop and have a tajarin (local thin tagliatelle) with butter and truffle at Cannon D'Oro in Cocconato D'Asti, near Aramengo, where I can experience the real local truffle tradition: basic recipes and stunning flavour.
Cannon d'Oro, Via Roma, 125 Villanova d'Asti;
Tel. +39 (0141) 948015
