Monferrato Casalese is an area rich in artistic, cultural and historical treasures. Great artists, both painters and sculptors, have worked in the region and left their priceless mark on it. One of the many masters is the great Guglielmo Caccia, known as Moncalvo, who painted in Monferrato in the 16th and 17th centuries. Born in Montabone in 1568, he was a leading exponent of the iconography of the Counter-Reformation. He died in the town of Moncalvo in 1625.
This route begins in Occimiano, a town of Roman origin lying in the flat area between the Po Valley and the hills of Monferrato. The route is easy and pleasant over the first stretch, until Giarole, where it becomes slightly more demanding. It ends in the hill town of San Salvatore Monferrato.
At the parish church of San Valerio in Occimiano, you'll find a late canvas by Moncalvo, showing the Virgin Mary with St Joseph and St Defendens.
Set off from Piazza Carlo Alberto, following the signs for Greenway 2 Cittadelle until Borgo San Martino, where you'll find the parish church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta in Via Giovanni Ricci. Inside are two paintings by Caccia, Madonna del Rosario and Annunciazione.
Carry on to Frassineto Po and its church of Sant’Ambrogio e San Giorgio in Piazza del Municipio, where you can see Madonna del Rosario, a fine work by the celebrated painter Orsola Maddalena Caccia, Moncalvo's daughter who followed in his footsteps. Take a few minor roads and beautiful gravel roads through the poplars of the Po regional park, and you'll arrive in Valmacca, famous for its delicious asparagus. Here too, in the parish church there is a Madonna del Rosario con Santi by Moncalvo. Leave the village and follow a flat stretch on tarmac until Bozzole. Once you're out of this village, turn right onto the minor road Strada Madonna della Neve. At the end of the road you come to the busy SP 55. Once you've made sure the road is clear, turn right onto it. Take a left after 200 m, again paying very careful attention to the traffic.
You're now on Strada San Zeno, which passes one of the many fishing lakes in the area.
In Giarole you can visit the Castello Sannazzaro, a historic residence still inhabited by the people whose ancestors built it 900 years ago. These very welcoming owners are happy to provide bed and breakfast and, if you book in advance, a guided tour.
At the entrance to the castle grounds you'll find the little church of San Giacomo with its painting by Caccia, again of the Madonna del Rosario. At the church of San Pietro Apostolo elsewhere in the village, you'll find a canvas depicting the Annunciation by a painter from the school of Moncalvo.
Now you can choose whether to go back to Occimiano, 5 km away, or carry on. We recommend the latter if you have a decent level of fitness. If you decide to carry on, head towards Villabella, a hamlet of Valenza. Carry on from here in the direction of Valenza, but turn right after about 1 km onto Strada Comunale Molinara, a country gravel road split into two halves that leads to San Salvatore Monferrato. Once you've entered the town after a long climb, turn right onto Via San Vincenzo, then Via Carlo Avalle, which will take you to Piazza Carlo Carmagnola, the town square. From here head to the church of San Martino e Siro, where you can admire the last work by Moncalvo on this route that pays homage to the artist. The homeward stretch will take you to Lu, Valdolenga, Azienda Agricola della Valle in Mirabello Monferrato, the church of San Giovanni Mediliano and finally Via Occimiano, which leads you back to your starting point.