SERRALUNGA, BAROLO, TERROIR
The experiences that you take away with you serve to make the memory of your journey unique, a stimulus for a another visit. Serralunga - Casa Mia
THE TOWN
The origins of the “Villa” (the current village) date back to the mid-twelfth century, when the Hungarians and Saracens raids made the villages of the lower valley vulnerable. At the time, the top of the hill, called "Serralonga", was considered the ideal place to build a safe haven to live. The current village conformation dates back to the design conceived by its first dwellers, and together with the castle, worked as a bulwark in defence of the community.
THE CASTLE
The foundations of the castle date back to the 10th century and provided defence of the territory and its citizens. Its architectural form is unique in the panorama of Langhe castles and makes it one of the most beautiful in Italy. It was a military fortress, resisted sieges, provided a home for its owners, but also served as a granary and a place where taxes were collected. It was abandoned due to the huge management costs during the eighteenth century. Having undergone a skilful restoration, it is once again the valid heritage of Serralunga and the Langhe area. A visit to it allows for the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful landscape and to breathe the medieval dimension in which the history of Serralunga was shaped.
THE RUSTICI
The agricultural vocation of Serralunga dates back to its origins. The "rustici" were the protagonists of the village’s daily life as can be seen from the reading of local medieval statutes. Entire chapters are dedicated to land management, examples citations quote "large and small beasts that cause damage to the possessions of others", "goats and pigs that cause damage", "those who steal the grapes of others", "to not thresh crops and fodder without the permission of the lord", " to not press turnips in Serralunga without the permission of the lord", "on declaring wine to the lord of Serralunga ".
Viticulture, then as now, was the fulcrum of the town's economy and was always in constant expansion cutting its way through the woodland. Even the statutes were particularly precise in defending vineyards, the vines, and the grapes against damage caused by animals and people, with fines and penalties greater than those applied to other types of crops.