Via dell’Acqua – Leg 2

From the concentric of Valfenera we head south, through the valley, through areas characterized by a strong presence of woods and arriving at the hamlet of San Sebastiano, where we can visit the small eighteenth-century church.

We continue along the ridge, appreciating the various panoramic points until we reach Valmaggiore, a typical settlement on the hill ridges, and continue to Frazione Villata. During the Second World War, the GL Brigade "Domenico Tamietti" settled in this hamlet, one of the first partisan groups, led by commander Giovanni Scagliola, known as "Piero".

From the hamlet we continue westwards, through wooded areas and agricultural areas, to arrive at Cellarengo, near the Ferrere road. The first historical information about Cellarengo dates back to the year 862. Initially it belonged to the territories of the Abbey of Nonantola and then, in 1200, passed among the possessions of the Monastery of Sant'Anastasio di Asti. From 1214 the village became a municipality and underwent several passages between some important families of Asti. Of particular importance, historically, is the presence of a castle, richly decorated and equipped with a park and a court chapel. It suffered various vicissitudes, passing from various owners until the last of these, the brothers Jona di Canale, sold it to the peasants who destroyed it to sell the bricks making them lose their traces. Important artistic traces remain in the church of San Giovanni Battista and in the Chapel of the Madonna Assunta.

Let's continue northwards for about 10 km, crossing a plain with a strong agricultural vocation thanks to the presence of numerous watercourses and little lakes, perfectly visible along the way. We cross the village of Isolabella and arrive at the concentric Villanova d'Asti, the end of the second leg. Villanova d’Asti was originally a simple village called Corvaglia, belonging to the house of Saxony.