Murisengo lies immersed in a countryside of gently-rolling hills where fields, vineyards and woods give way to each other against in extraordinary display of different shades of colour.
The old town centre of Murisengo echoes and confirms the solemn, vigorous active past of the town.
The castle (now a private residence) towers above the village with breath-taking views of the houses and valley below. The castle has been dated to around the year 1300 and a square tower with characteristic rostra and battlements decorated with the caper plants that cover much of the walls of the old town centre is all that remains of the original building. Noteworthy, the elliptical plan chapel built in 1878 to the design of the architect of the House of Savoy, Carlo Ceppi.
It was here in the castle that Silvio Pellico wrote "Francesca di Rimini".
The Parish Church of Sant’Antonio Abate (18th century), an outstanding example of Piedmontese rococo, rises close to the castle. This Greek-cross-shaped church features charming choirs and noteworthy frescoes of the Turin-born Giovanni Rapetti, depicting a vision of Paradise with the celestial hierarchies represented on the vault.
In the old town centre, the Church of San Michele, referred to as the "Oratorio degli Angeli" in documents of the year 1500, bears witness to the religious importance of the town while the Romanesque Tower of San Pietro surrounded by a small park is all that remains of a convent of Benedictine monks.
The baroque Church of San Luigi Gonzaga, designed by the architect Bernardo Vittone in a style that reflects the works of the renowned Guarino Guarini, is one of the most interesting attractions of Corteranzo, a pleasant district of Murisengo.
A visit to Murisengo must include an excursion to the "Pirenta", a historical sulphurous source of the Monferrato whose healing powers were extolled in the 18th century by Father Gio Agostino De Levis. The stone façade of the source was added by the Marquis Giuseppe Scozia in 1859.
APPOINTMENTSMurisengo, the capital of the truffle in the Province of Alessandria with its four districts, San Candido, Corteranzo, Casa Battia and Sorina, offers not only a gentle, welcoming countryside but also provides a number of unique occasions and opportunities to try the food and wine of the area, combined with a particularly lively commercial and artisan activity.
The Monday market has gradually expanded over the years and the Fairs continue to represent an important and vital meeting point for all the inhabitants of the valley.
Traditional appointments include the first Sunday of September to celebrate the Patron Saint and November during which the main event is the Fair of the Truffle "Trifola d’or".
This fair, which for more than thirty years has sold and acclaimed the best examples of this highly-prized Tuber gathered in the Monferrato area, traces its roots far back into the past. In documents dated 1516, the Autumn produce on sale at "San Martino’s Fair" also included mushrooms and truffles. In recent years, the Fair of Murisengo has attracted more and more Italian and foreign exhibitors and consumers who crowd this commercial centre for the occasion, earning it a rightful place as one of the most important Italian meetings.