Cocconato, a hilltop village immersed in Monferrato

Cocconato, known as the “Riviera of Monferrato” for its mild climate, owes its name either to the Latin cum conatu (“effort”), linked to the climb up the hill, or to cuccus/acutus, recalling a pointed peak. Its origins probably date back to the Ligurians, with later Roman traces at Marcellina, where the legend of the Pietra Cagnola told of a golden dog capable of making the fields fertile. After the barbarian invasions, the settlement moved uphill, giving rise to Cocconato. From the 10th century the village was a fief of the Counts Radicati, who made it almost autonomous with the right to mint coins. Among the most famous members of the family were Annibale, who served the kings of France, and Alberto, a Protestant writer. In 1450 Cocconato passed to the Savoy, under whose rule it remained from 1586. Its artistic heritage includes the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Baroque Church of Saint Catherine, the 14th‑century Town Hall, and Palazzo Martelletti, linked to the history of vermouth. The tower, symbol of the village, is a 19th‑century reconstruction.

What to see in Cocconato

Among the most significant monuments of Cocconato is the Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1617 as a vow against the plague. Inside it preserves a seventeenth‑century gilded wooden altar, the altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin attributed to the workshop of Moncalvo, and three refined scagliola altar frontals by the Solaro family. The Town Hall, rebuilt in the fifteenth century on part of the castle, is a rare Piedmontese example of civic Gothic, with elegant terracotta windows and a portico with pointed arches, although modified in the nineteenth century. The Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, built in 1669 with a single nave, houses important altarpieces, including All Saints from the Genoese school, the Guardian Angel by Sacchetti, the Madonna of the Rosary from the Moncalvo school, and the majestic apse altarpiece by Vitaliano Grassi.

Events that enliven the village

Cocconato keeps its traditions alive through events that combine history, taste, and folklore. On April 25 the San Marco Fair takes place with markets and tastings. In May, local cheeses are celebrated with the event Cocco…Cheese. At the beginning of June, the wines of the territory are honored with the Food and Wine Walk, a fifteen‑kilometer route through hills and vineyards with seven tasting stops. The symbolic event of Cocconato is the Donkey Palio, created in 1970 to commemorate the medieval fire of the castle, a competition between the eight districts accompanied by historical parades. From December to January, the village becomes the evocative Village of Nativity Scenes, with cribs displayed throughout the historic center.

Attractions around Cocconato

Not far from the village stands the Abbey of Santa Maria di Vezzolano, in the municipality of Albugnano, an important testimony of Romanesque‑Gothic architecture dating back to the twelfth century, which preserves medieval frescoes and a sculpted rood screen. In the nearby town of Castelnuovo Don Bosco rises the Basilica of Don Bosco, a large complex of churches, museums, and spaces dedicated to the saint. In the same municipality, the Church of Santa Maria di Cornareto, also from the twelfth century and Romanesque in style, offers a breathtaking panorama over the Monferrato hills and the Alpine arc.

Now it’s your turn: take a trip to the village of Cocconato!

Cover photo credits: official website of the Municipality of Cocconato