We didn’t initially think we would buy a house in the Piemonte region of Italy.
Our search started in southern Italy, specifically in the regions of Puglia, Campania, and Molise because of our family roots. My husband’s parents were born in Puglia and there’s still family there. My family’s ancestry is tied to Molise and Campania. So this part of Italy seemed like the logical place to start looking for a house.
And as with many first Italy house dreams, it’s easy to be swayed by beautiful photos and the romanticized version of Italy you see online. How could you not fall for the turquoise water of the Adriatic and Mediterranean and the houses with the balcony views that seem to always have brightly colored flowers in perfect bloom and the most gorgeously prepared dishes of food?!?
Except for one thing. Buying a house in Italy needs to be rooted in reality. And when you stop to think about what really matters for the life that you’re envisioning, you start to create a list of things that are important. That’s what we did and it’s why we turned our search to northern Italy.
Ultimately (and not surprisingly if you read the title of this article), we chose Piemonte and specifically the area of Monferrato. Here’s what won us over.
1. Beautiful Landscapes
Ok, I’ll grant you that this doesn’t exactly narrow things down in Italy, and Piemonte is no exception.
Piemonte, and specifically the Langhe, Monferrato, and Roero areas, have rolling hills covered with grape vines, hazelnut trees, and ancient hilltop villages. Each season comes with its own things to look forward to that make it special. I love the spring when the hills are completely green and the fall when the vines hang heavy with bunches of grapes.
The background for all of this are the spectacular Alps. On clear days, you can see a line of snowcapped peaks on the horizon. No matter how many times I see them, I’m always amazed.
2. Amazing Food & Wine
Piemonte is home to some of the most famous wines in the world. Think barolo, barbaresco, barbera, and delicious local grapes like grignolino and ruche. The region has more DOCG wines than Tuscany and is tied with that region for the number of DOC wines.
It’s also where the slow food movement began and where the International White Truffle Fair is held each fall. Throughout the region, you can try agnolotti, vitello tonnato (veal with a tuna sauce), egg pasta with truffle, and beef braised in a barbera sauce.
Torino is the chocolate capital of Europe, famous for its gianduiotto chocolate which is mixed with a hazelnut paste. These are the same hazelnuts grown on the hills of Piemonte that brought about Nutella.
And because a lot of the region is mostly only known and visited by Italians, there are countless tiny, family-run restaurants in villages across the countryside serving home-cooked authentic meals.
3. It’s near three major cities.
From our location in Piemonte, we are between 50-70 minutes from Turin, Milan, and Genoa. This gives us a great balance of countryside life with easy access to culture, museums, shopping, and the energy that comes with city life.
We can and have day-tripped to each of these cities many times, and have even stayed for a few days here and there when it makes sense.
We can also easily get to smaller cities like Asti and Casale Monferrato. Each of these cities have fantastic markets, cafes, and daily life essentials all within a 15-20-minute drive. The city of Alba (famous for its International Truffle Festival) is about 45 minutes away.
4. Not Far From Milan Malpensa Airport
This is the biggest international airport in northern Italy with direct flights to the U.S., and it’s an hour from our house. This was a big one for us.
First, we knew our renovation project would take a while. I managed the project, and even though I spent extended periods of time there to oversee the work, I had to go back and forth many times between the U.S. and Italy. Having direct flights and a straightforward drive to the house from the airport was essential.
Once the work was finished, my husband and I knew there would be a transition between our life in Italy and the U.S., likely spending some time in both at least to start.
We also bought the house with my sister and her husband, and for them, direct airport access was a must. They don’t plan on living full time in the house, at least for a while, so having an airport they could fly to without having to connect somewhere in Europe would make travel much more convenient.
Not to mention, we have family and friends in the U.S. Should we need to get to them or they want to visit us, we wanted to make this as easy as possible.
And our location in Piemonte also comes with the added benefit of 4 more airports within easy reach, especially for flights within Europe. We can get to the other airports in the Milan area (Linate and Bergamo), as well as the airports in Turin and Genoa.
5. Close to the Italian Lakes
These next few things on the list all fall into the category of strategic location. We wanted lakes, mountains, and the sea all within easy reach for day trips.
Piemonte is home to Lake Orta and half of Lake Maggiore. We can get to either in an hour, and they’re both among our favorite places to bring visitors or head out for a lakeside lunch or hike.
And if you’re wondering about Lake Como, the town of Como on the lake’s southwest shore is less than 2 hours. I’ve only done it as a day trip once because it’s a long day but I mention it because it’s still possible.
6. Alps on the Horizon
On clear days, the views of the Alps are stunning. But seeing the mountains nearby also means you don’t have to go far for amazing hiking or to spend a day in an Alpine village.
The Valle d’Aosta (Italy’s smallest region) is just north of Piemonte. We’ve headed up to Aosta for the Christmas Market and to see the Roman ruins. The car ride is just over an hour. Same if we want to head towards western Piemonte for the mountains around Cuneo or the Val di Susa and places like the Sacre of San Michele.
7. The Italian Riviera is just an hour away.
Our location in Monferrato puts us equally as close to the Liguria and the Italian Riviera. My husband and sister, especially, wanted the coast or beach within an easy drive or train ride.
Genoa is the most central jumping off point and we’ve used it to take boat rides along the coast to visit places like Camogli, San Fruttuoso, and Portofino. We can drive to Genoa or take the train from Alessandria.
It’s also been easy to explore west of Genoa (the lesser-known part of the coastline). One of my favorite spots is Noli, a beautiful medieval town right along the Mediterranean.
8. Easy to Get to Other Parts of Europe.
This was important. My husband and I love to travel, and coming from the U.S., this is such a novelty. In just 2-3 hours by car, we can be in another country. In the U.S., you can drive that long and most likely you’re still in the same State.
Northern Italy gives us a more strategic position to visit nearby European countries by car or by train, especially France and Switzerland. It would’ve been more involved to do this from southern Italy.
So far, we’ve driven to the French Riviera (3 hours) for a long weekend, with future plans to visit Monaco, Marseille, and more of the south of France.
9. Nothing in northern Italy is too far.
We’ve gone to places like Parma, Como, and Portofino for the day. But with a weekend (even just 1 overnight stay), we can enjoy Lake Garda, Bologna, Verona, Venice, the Dolomites, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre…the list is endless.
Nothing in northern Italy feels out of reach whether it’s for a getaway or to simply attend a special event.
10. Piemonte is under the radar with affordable houses.
Despite all of this, Piemonte is a hidden gem in northern Italy. And while the Langhe is known because of its famous wines, Monferrato is still a place mostly known by Italians and Europeans living nearby, like the Swiss.
It has the same rolling hills covered in vines as the Langhe, but still with plenty of houses for sale and at fair prices. And as we researched, we stumbled on our house and village and realized we could have a very strategic location, with gorgeous landscapes and amazing food and wine, at a price point we could afford.
Bottom Line
We couldn’t be happier in the Monferrato area of Piemonte! If this sounds like what you’re looking for too, plan a trip to get to know the area.
Who knows? You might just stumble upon the perfect house and village like we did. <3
