Ecomuseo delle Rocche del Roero

The Ecomuseo delle Rocche del Roero treats a landscape and its communities as a museum. Based in Montà, it brings together eight hilltop municipalities whose villages, rural buildings and traditions are closely tied to the eroded sandy formations known as the Rocche.

Why it matters

The ecomuseum's subject is the relationship between people and territory. Castles, small religious buildings, vineyards, woodland and agricultural practices form parts of a shared cultural landscape rather than separate exhibits. This approach places local memory alongside the natural processes that shaped the Roero.

What to notice

The Rocche create a striking contrast between dry ridges and humid ravines. Sandy walls, gullies and wooded slopes support different small-scale habitats, while hilltop villages occupy the more stable ground above. Rural buildings and traditions of beekeeping, winegrowing and truffle gathering show how communities have made use of this varied environment.

Context and history

The Rocche were formed through erosion associated with changes in the Tanaro river system, rather than simply being a tectonic fault. Streams cut back into the sandy terrain, producing the deep gullies and pinnacles that characterise the landscape. Villages established along the hilltops after the year 1000 became the focus of the ecomuseum's territorial story. The institution preserves that story through the linked study of landscape, history and community traditions.