Among the winding hills of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of theUnesco, the Narrating Village is a 120-hectare bio-natural reserve in the heart of Barolo at Serralunga d’Alba. A place to share an immersive experience in Piedmontese tradition thanks to renewed hospitality.
A historic village where you can savor your time and take care of yourself, surrounded by the beauty of the Barolo hills. The Narrating Village at Fontanafredda and Casa E. di Mirafiore is an authentic place where every corner and every view tells unique stories.
It was Emanuele Alberto, Count of Mirafiore and son of Italy’s first King, Vittorio Emanuele II, who desired the creation of a village at Fontanafredda, a place purchased by his father in 1858 and given as a token of love to Rosa Vercellana, the woman he loved. Here, Emanuele Alberto di Mirafiore founded the namesake wine company inside a village made up of farmhouses, a school, a church, and essential services, as well as a recreational club where he himself read books to his workers who were still illiterate. By his will, the village became a true community which, at its peak, hosted up to 250 people and has been preserved to this day, where fifteen families still live. Wine has always held a central role in the village, thanks to the historic cellars of Fontanafredda and Casa E. di Mirafiore, two excellent realities coexisting within the same hamlet.
The former boasts the award of “European Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast and has become an icon of Barolo worldwide. The latter, founded in 1878 by Emanuele Alberto Count of Mirafiore; an aristocratic cellar and an organic farm with strong rural identity, a true expression of the enological tradition of the Langhe. Tours of the cellars offer the chance to retrace the steps of the royal family through history and curious anecdotes, admiring the grandeur of large oak barrels and tasting the wines of the Langhe.
History, tradition, and quality are recurring elements in the Narrating Village that can be discovered in a glass of wine, a dish, and the very atmosphere of the village. A genuine experience of nature and culture to be lived during a stay at Le Case dei Conti Mirafiore, the first diffusion hotel of the Langhe composed of 4 structures: Vigna Magica, the boutique hotel La Foresteria delle Vigne, and two farmhouses immersed in vineyards, Galarej and La Rosa, soon to open.
Within the Narrating Village, wine finds its highest expression thanks to haute cuisine. The gastronomy is marked by the historic Alciati family with Chef Ugo and his brother Piero leading guests on a journey of flavors discovering the tastes of Piedmontese tradition between memory and seasonality.
Inside the Royal Villa is the refined Guidoristorante, the historic Michelin-starred restaurant of Piedmont, while for a more informal meal there is Osteria Disguido at the Garden and 100vini wine bar and enoteca, an ideal location for an aperitif with local tapas or to purchase your favorite bottle. Narrating Village is also a place for events, ceremonies, and business meetings, thanks to the various locations it includes, as well as hosting the E. di Mirafiore Foundation, founded by Oscar Farinetti as a place for dialogue and cultural promotion with the Permanent Resistance Laboratory and Literary Walks within the Bosco dei Pensieri, among the last remaining woods of the Bassa Langa del Barolo, where one can admire century-old trees, vineyards, hazelnut groves, and over 40,000 varieties of plants.
From today the historic village also becomes digital: the new website of the Village is born, an immersive experience where you can choose between various packages designed to satisfy lovers of wine, cuisine, and relaxation.
