Canavese Vineyards Join National Register of Historical Rural Landscapes

Efforts to integrate vineyards into tourism routes to revive local economy

2025-01-09

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The Italian Ministry of Agriculture has officially recognized the historical and scenic value of the vineyards in the Canavese region, located on the left bank of the Dora Baltea River. These terraced vineyards, cultivated since medieval times, have been added to the National Register of Historical Rural Landscapes, a distinction that highlights their cultural and environmental significance. The announcement was welcomed by Bruno Mecca Cici, president of Coldiretti Torino, who described it as a crucial step in protecting and revitalizing the region's heroic viticulture.

The register includes rural areas that have preserved their unique cultural and agricultural characteristics over centuries, becoming integral to the local landscape and heritage. In Canavese, the terraced vineyards exemplify human adaptation to the Alpine environment. The dry stone walls supporting these terraces create a favorable microclimate for growing vines under challenging conditions by reflecting heat and stabilizing the terrain.

The winemaking tradition in Canavese, situated at the entrance to the Aosta Valley in Piedmont, is deeply rooted in local history. The terraces, locally known as tupiun, are supported by stone pillars called pilun, a centuries-old farming technique passed down through generations. However, this cultural heritage faces the risk of disappearing due to the progressive abandonment of agricultural land, driven by an aging rural population and a lack of younger generations taking over vineyard management.

The Ministry's recognition underscores the need to protect these vineyards not only for their cultural value but also for their role in preventing soil erosion and landslides on the region's steep slopes. Maintaining these vineyards is considered heroic viticulture under Italian law, given the extreme conditions in which local farmers work. Despite their importance, these viticulturists face numerous challenges in sustaining their activity.

Mecca Cici stressed that inclusion in the National Register must be accompanied by concrete policies to support mountain viticulture. Proposed measures include protecting vineyards from wild animals, building rural roads and transport systems to improve access to terraced plots, and providing incentives to acquire abandoned land. There is also a push to develop tourism and infrastructure that could leverage the unique Canavese landscape for economic benefit.

Tourism promotion is seen as an opportunity to revive the local economy. Coldiretti Torino has advocated integrating the vineyards into existing tourist routes, such as the Via Francigena, and showcasing local features like the Balmetti of Borgofranco di Ivrea — natural cellars carved into rock used to store wine and other products.

Canavese wines are central to this revitalization effort. The region is home to renowned appellations such as Nebbiolo di Carema and Erbaluce di Caluso, wines that experts believe hold great potential in the face of climate change. Additionally, olive cultivation is being promoted on the same slopes, a practice that seemed improbable in this mountainous area until recently but is now yielding promising results.

The development plan put forth by municipalities around Ivrea's lakes includes measures to support pergola viticulture and olive growing on the Alpine slopes. Coldiretti Torino has expressed its commitment to collaborating with local wine consortia and the Mountain Union of Mombarone to ensure the recognition is more than a bureaucratic formality. The goal is to translate this distinction into tangible projects that rejuvenate heroic viticulture in the region.

Mecca Cici emphasized that active involvement from Piedmont's regional government and other institutions is essential to preserve this unique landscape. "If we truly want to protect our winemaking heritage, we must do more for our viticulturists. Recognizing the historical value of these vineyards is not enough; we need to support those who work them every day," he concluded.

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