Canelli (

Piedmontese Piedmontese ( ; autonym: or ; ) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, a region of Northwest Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regarded as an Italian ...

: ''Canèj'') is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Asti The province of Asti (; Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ''provincia d'Ast'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Asti. To the northwest it borders on the Metropolitan City of Turin; ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region of

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

. As of 31 January 2024 it has a population of 10,022 Canelli is located on a bend of the river

Belbo The Belbo is a river of southern Piedmont, Italy. It is a right-side tributary of the Tanaro. Geography The Belbo rises in the Langhe, on the borders between Piedmont and Liguria in the hills of Montezemolo. After flowing through the Piedmonte ...

in the ''Alto Monferrato'' (High

Monferrat Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine district ...

), close to the border with the

Langhe The Langhe (; ''Langa'' is from old dialect Mons Langa et Bassa Langa) is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the provinces of Cuneo and Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is famous for its wines, cheeses, and truffles� ...

. The area around the town is rich in

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

s. The area is believed to be the birthplace of the

sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While it is common to refer to this as champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that word for products exclusively produced in the Champagne ( ...

Asti Asti ( , ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, about east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro, Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and ...

. The village's history of the wine is still evident today with the popular

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

Muscat Canelli Muscat (, ) is the capital and most populous city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. T ...

that is still used for the Moscato grape used to produce the wine.K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 333-335 Workman Publishing 2001 The neighbouring

comuni A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

are

Bubbio Bubbio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. Bubbio borders the following municipalities: Canelli, Cassinasco, Cessole, Loazzolo Lo ...

Calamandrana Calamandrana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. Calamandrana borders the following municipalities: Canelli, Cassinasco, Castel Bog ...

Calosso Calosso is a rural ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about south of Asti in the hilly area between the Tanaro and Belbo and on the borders between Monferrato a ...

Cassinasco Cassinasco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 639 and an area of .All demographics a ...

Loazzolo Loazzolo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont (Regione Piemonte), located about southeast of Turin and about south of Asti. Loazzolo borders the following municipalities: Bubbio, Canelli, Cessole ...

Moasca Moasca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. As of January 2024 it had a population of 509 Moasca borders the following municipalitie ...

and

San Marzano Oliveto San Marzano Oliveto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. San Marzano Oliveto is located in a panoramic position above sea level. It ...

in the province of Asti, and

Santo Stefano Belbo Santo Stefano Belbo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located southeast of Turin and northeast of Cuneo. It is the birthplace of 20th century author Cesare Pavese. On its hill are a medieval ...

in the

province of Cuneo The province of Cuneo (; ) is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west, it borders the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes), to the north the ...

. On 22 June 2014, Canelli along with

Asti Spumante {{Infobox wine region , name = Asti , official name = , other name = , image = Asti wine.jpg , imagealt = , caption = A glass of Asti , type = DOCG , year = 1967 ( ...

was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.CNN - UNESCO's newest World Heritage sites
/ref>

History

The territory of Canelli was already occupied in prehistoric times by settlers from

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

. In Roman times it became a center of some importance, surrounded by numerous farms on which vines were cultivated. After the Roman era Canelli fell into a long decline, but was already being called a ''citta'' (town) by the year 961. By the middle of the 12th century, the descendants of the Counts of

Acqui Terme Acqui Terme (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is about south-southwest of Alessandria. It is one of the principal winemaking communes of the Italian DOCG wine Brachetto d'Acqui. The c ...

had taken control. In 1235 Canelli became an equal partner in the Republic of Asti and Canelli. It became an outpost in the republic's frequent wars against its great rival, the

Duchy of Monferrato The Duchy of Montferrat was a state located in Northern Italy. It was created out of what was left of the medieval March of Montferrat after the last Palaeologus heir had died (1533) and the margraviate had been briefly controlled by the Emperor ...

. In 1613 Canelli broke the siege laid by Carlo I, later the Duke of

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

, as part of a war of succession with the Duchy of Monferrato. The town's defenses were manned by soldiers from the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...

, actively supported by the citizens: Carlo's troops were unable to break through them. This heroic action is celebrated in a re-enactment that takes place every year in the third weekend in June - the ''Assedio di Canelli'' ( Siege of Canelli). On the night of 5 November 1994 the town was badly hit by a violent flood of the river

that affected a large part of the town, devastating the local economy and causing some casualties. Canelli was the start and finish of stage 6 of the

2023 Giro Donne The 2023 Giro Donne was the 34th edition of the Giro Donne, a women's road cycling stage race that took place in Italy. The race began on the 30 June and ended on 9 July 2023. It was the 20th race in the 2023 UCI Women's World Tour calendar. ...

won by

Annemiek van Vleuten Annemiek van Vleuten (; born 8 October 1982) is a retired Dutch professional Bicycle racing, road racing cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Women's Team, UCI Women's WorldTeam . Van Vleuten is twice a winner of both the UCI Road World Cha ...

Main sights

Canelli Castle was built in the 11th century to defend the roads leading to the ports of

Savona Savona (; ) is a seaport and (municipality) in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, and the capital of the Province of Savona. Facing the Ligurian Sea, Savona is the main center of the Riviera di Ponente (the western se ...

and

Vado Ligure Vado Ligure (), in antiquity Vada Sabatia, is a port town and ''comune'' in the province of Savona, Liguria, in northern Italy. The town despite its size has become one of the largest ports in Northwest Italy. Economy Vado has a large indus ...

. The castle was destroyed in 1617 during the war against

Monferrato Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine district ...

. Rebuilt and renovated in 1930 by Arturo Midana as an elegant villa, it is currently owned by the Gancia family. Some sparkling white wines in Canelli are stored in its underground cellars. In these 'underground cathedrals', which are feats of engineering, millions of bottles are left to ferment at a constant temperature between . Extending under the town, the cellars of Canelli are a candidate for

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

status.

Economy

The economy of Canelli is based on the production of sparkling wine, and of everything associated with it. The town is undoubtedly one of the wine capitals of the world, being home to such historic wineries as Gancia, Bosca, Contratto, Coppo and many others. The main varieties cultivated in the municipality are: * Moscato *

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels ...

Dolcetto Dolcetto ( , , ) is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word ''dolcetto'' means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to th ...

Cortese Cortese is a white Italian wine grape variety predominantly grown in the southeastern regions of Piedmont (wine), Piedmont in the provinces (Italy), provinces of Alessandria (province), Alessandria and Asti (wine), Asti. It is the primary grape o ...

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...

The main wines produced are: *

Moscato d'Asti Moscato d'Asti is a DOCG sparkling white wine made from the Moscato bianco grape and produced mainly in the province of Asti, northwest Italy, and in smaller nearby regions in the provinces of Alessandria and Cuneo. The wine is sweet and low ...

Barbera d'Asti Barbera d'Asti is an Italian red wine made from the Barbera grape. It is produced in the hilly areas of the provinces of Asti (67 municipalities) and Alexandria (51 municipalities). Barbera d'Asti was accredited with DOC status in 1970, and DOCG ...

* Dolcetto d'Asti * Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato *

Freisa d'Asti Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose rou ...

The significant number of wineries has also given rise to many companies that produce wine-making equipment. The flood of 1994 was a disaster for the local economy: the mud and water that rushed into the cellars caused millions of Euros of fermenting wine to be lost. The economic diversification into wine-making equipment softened the blow.

Festivals and events

* ''Assedio di Canelli'' (Siege of Canelli); 3rd weekend in June
Youtube video
* ''Citta del Vino'' (City of Wine Festival); 4th weekend in September. * ''Fiera di San Martino'' (St. Martin's Fair); 2nd Sunday in November. * ''Fiera Regionale del Tartufo'' (Regional

Truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''P ...

Fair); 2nd Sunday in November. * Canelli is one of the

(municipalities) that participates in the

Palio di Asti The Palio di Asti (or ''Palio Astese'' in its most archaic nomenclature) is a traditional Italy, Italian festival of Middle Ages, medieval origin that culminates with a bareback horse race. The race has been run each year since the 13th century. ...

. In 1974 it triumphed with the rider Mauro Finotto (nicknamed ''Jora'') on the horse Anin / Spumantino. Canelli has two market days every week, on Tuesday and Friday.

People

* Giovanni Carlo Aliberti (1670–1727), painter *

Emanuele Olivieri Emanuele Olivieri (born 2 August 2008 in Canelli) is an Italian racing driver. He is the 2025 F4 Middle East champion. He is the godson of three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Rinaldo Capello and is part of Oliver Victor Kristensen's 5P Agenc ...

(born 2008), racing driver

Twinned towns

Canelli is twinned with: *

Menfi Menfi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about southwest of Palermo and about northwest of Agrigento. The town lies some from the south coast of Sicily, between the rivers Belic ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Piazza Armerina Piazza Armerina (Gallo-Italic of Sicily: ''Ciazza''; Sicilian: ''Chiazza'') is a ''comune'' in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy. History The city of Piazza (as it was called before 1862) developed ...

Mezőtúr Mezőtúr is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in Hungary, located southeast from Budapest and 88 miles away by rail. It possesses important potteries. Large herds of cattle are reared on the communal lands, which are productive also of wheat ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Ganzhou Ganzhou (), alternately romanized as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in the south of Jiangxi province, China, bordering Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, and Hunan to the west. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong District. His ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

External links

Official website
{{authority control Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato