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"In the abundance of different topographies, its fecundity and the grace of a mild beauty, the Monferrat is somewhat similar to Tuscany and at the same time reminds you of southern Ticino of the time before industrialization"
(Piedmont and Aosta Valley, by Richard Zürcher, page 26.)
The lands are green and succulent, even in mid-summer; in the fall, the vine-covered slopes and hills turn red. The soft hills at 200 to 300 meters altitude and the early morning mist, yet with clear sunny days, are very typical of the Piedmont and responsible for the excellent wines it produces. Products of the fertile soil of the Langhe and Monferrato, however, are not only the excellent wines; fruit and vegetables grow just as plentiful. Spring is the rice sowing season (Vercelli/Novara) and the rice fields are flooded with water until June: green water squares reflecting the sky are the typical scenery of this region in springtime.
Another kind of sea, called by locals the "Mare Padania," is the plain of the Po river. Forests, hills and vineyards will meet the eye all around, palm trees here and there, countless fruit trees, hydrangeas and less cherry trees than you would expect (from Ferrero advertising). And much much light, in many different qualities.
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