The Giant Benches of the Monferrato: an itinerary among vineyards, legends and long views

There is a way to look at the Monferrato that most visitors miss. Not from a car window, not from a hilltop restaurant terrace. But from two metres up, sitting on a bench built for giants, with rows of Barbera and Grignolino running down to the horizon in every direction.

The Big Benches — the giant bench project created by designer Chris Bangle — have spread well beyond the Langhe, and the Monferrato now counts them almost by the dozen. The hills here are gentler and wider than their Langhe cousins, and the views often stretch all the way to the Alps and the Apennines. Each bench has a number, a colour, a story.

Here are four worth seeking out around the Monferrato.

Big Bench #41 — Grignolino Red, Rosignano Monferrato

The bench that started it all in the Monferrato. Installed in 2017 among the historic vineyards of the Ravizza family, on the hill right beside the small church of Madonna delle Grazie. The red honours Grignolino, one of the territory's signature grapes. From up here the view runs over the rooftops of Cella Monte, across the hills of the Basso Monferrato, and on clear days as far as the Alps and the Apennines. A short walk through the vines from the parking area, nothing technical about it.

Big Bench #48 — Barbera Red, Sala Monferrato

Just outside the village, along the road toward Ottiglio, this one sits surrounded on every side by Barbera vines — fitting, given the colour. It stands next to the small countryside church of San Grato, built in the 1600s as a votive offering after a hailstorm destroyed the harvest. The view takes in the village of Sala and the rolling hills around it, an easy stop for anyone cycling through this stretch of the UNESCO Monferrato.

Big Bench #91 — "Alasia," Grazzano Badoglio

Of all four, this might be the most romantic. It sits on one of the highest points of Contrada Cornaleto, among vineyards belonging to several local growers, and it carries the name of a princess — Alasia, the woman for whose love, according to legend, the marquess Aleramo founded the Monferrato over a thousand years ago. From the bench you can just make out the ancient Abbey of Grazzano in the distance, where Aleramo himself is buried: a fitting backdrop for a bench built on a thousand-year-old love story. You park near the cemetery and follow a short dirt track along the ridge — five, maybe ten minutes on foot for one of the best views in the whole Monferrato Casalese.

Big Bench #231 — "Panchina del Sole," Ottiglio

Painted yellow and blue like the town's own coat of arms, this bench sits at Madonna dei Monti, one of the highest points in the area, just outside Ottiglio. It's deliberately angled southeast, built for watching the sunrise, and the view is arguably the widest of the four: the Sacro Monte di Crea, the plains toward Vercelli, and on the clearest days the entire Alpine arc up to Monte Rosa.

How to plan the itinerary

All four benches are free and open year-round, from sunrise to sunset. The natural route runs from Rosignano Monferrato down to Sala Monferrato, across to Grazzano Badoglio and up to Ottiglio — a half-day loop through vineyards, quiet villages and views that change at every turn. Wear comfortable shoes: most benches sit a short walk from the nearest parking, often through working vineyards, so keep to the marked paths.

If you want to explore the Monferrato hills up close — with a comfortable base to return to in the evening — discover AlbaTorino Escapes stays between Alba, Turin and the territory.