In the words of the young writer Marco Candia, the secrets of Tortona – its history as a land of transit, commerce, borders, and conquest at the hands of many potentates – grew to be a part of the city. Tortona has a past full of war and destruction, dominators and dominated, central and periphery areas; but it also has the dignity and pride of a city that, as Candia writes, has always existed, “resisting the forces of energy from the transits that passed this city,” winning its independence century after century, fighting and sacrificing to maintain it.

Neither a train nor a road will take you to the doorstep of Gavi. To visit this little town, it’s necessary to seek it out. There are many reasons that draw a tourist here: art, history, wine, and food all cross paths to make this a small treasure chest of attractions positioned between the Gavi Fortress and the Lemme River.