BRICCO CREAVACUORE, the panoramic viewpoint that tells stories of the past...
On top of the high hills between Monferrato and Langhe, Calosso is immersed in a enchanting rural landscape among fine vineyards. There you will find the beautiful panoramic viewpoint of Bricco Crevacuore. Going up towards the centre of Calosso from the main road, viale Partigiani, just before arriving in Piazza Sant'Alessandro, a small sign indicates the way to the Panoramic Viewpoint of Bricco Crevacuore. You have to turn left and then keep left again, leaving the village behind you stay on the ridge of the hill for almost two kilometers. Following the signs, you finally arrive at the hill on which you can climb a series of steps made of wooden sleepers. From the top of the hill you can admire a wonderful view of the Wine Landscapes recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Calosso is part of the core zone of "Canelli e l'Asti Spumante", we are in the heart of sparkling wine country, surrounded by vineyards mainly of white Moscato. (But Calosso is also known for other wines... I'll talk about this in another article!).
This place tells stories of the past. In fact, on top of the hill was recently built a tower in commemoration of the partisan Corrado Bianco, called "Barbarossa", of Costigliole d'Asti, (to whom the long tree-lined avenue of his village is dedicated), killed right here at the age of 24 during the Second World War, on December 15, 1944.
Inside the small tower you will find a short iron spiral staircase. Go up and look out to enjoy the view from even higher. But that's not all. Where now there is this tower, there was once, in Bricco Crevacuore, a castle. We are talking about a time a long time ago; the historian Gian Secondo De Canis, in the 1800s spoke of remains of bricks that probably belonged to the castle of Crevacuore: Piero Bussi, citizen of Calosso, in his book "People of Calosso", tells us that the castle is mentioned in papers of the Municipality of Calosso, dated December 22, 1635.
There have been several finds of bricks and even pieces of iron during excavations at the top of Bricco Crevacuore, most recently just after the Second World War. Piero Bussi, on page 42 of his book, also tells that near the viewpoint there is a vineyard, “called "La Casaccia" where until fifty years ago there were two large piles of bricks that marked its access. The old people said that the name Casaccia derives from a large house, palace or rather a castle". Furthermore, a 26m well was found, typical of castles and not a normal vineyard cistern. The fact that Crevacuore, in the 1600s , had even more importance than the village of Calosso, is also testified by a map of 1650, also reported by Bussi, where "Crevajor" is mentioned and not Calosso!