Cornalea: Cheese Tradition and Landscape

Cornalea is a hamlet of Rocchetta Tanaro. Culinary heritage, a named cultural site, and its landscape setting offer different starting points for planning a trip. Local history includes the origin story of Rustica ai formaggi; the Cappella di San Carlo provides another specific point of reference. There is also a 9 km trail connecting Rocchetta Tanaro and Cornalea. You can get to know Cornalea through regional food culture, individual named places, or its connection with Rocchetta Tanaro.

The Story Behind Rustica

According to the traditional origin story of Rustica, a cheese seller named “'l Furmagé” lived in the hamlet of Cornalea at the beginning of the 20th century. His cart was pulled by a horse; on his journeys through the villages of the Tiglione and Tanaro valleys, he sold cheese. The story thus links a specific person and occupation with a sales area encompassing both valleys. For visitors who want to discover regional food culture not just through a dish but also through its heritage, the story provides a historical context.

Rustica and the Festival

Rustica is a savory tart made with puff pastry and filled with various cheeses; soft and hard varieties are usually combined. Recipes can vary. The essential idea is puff pastry and a mixture of cheeses, rather than one specific variety. As part of the festival tradition, the Pro Loco of Rocchetta Tanaro takes part in the Festival delle Sagre di Asti with Rustica ai formaggi. The festival takes place on the second weekend of September. If you want to plan your trip specifically around this event, check the program for the relevant year separately. The dish, its origin story, and its appearance at the festival are different facets of the cheese tradition.

Landscape and Settlement Pattern

The Cascina Padronale di Cornalea is located in the hamlet of Cornalea and is considered an SS34 area of significant historical and ecological value. It is characterized by cultivated land and rural settlement clusters that arose from a reorganization during the contemporary period. The cultivated land reflects agricultural use, while the settlement clusters represent the rural settlement pattern; both aspects are part of the same classification. This characterization therefore brings together landscape and settlement development. This perspective complements the cheese tradition with a historical and ecological view of Cornalea.

Cultural Site and Trail Connection

The Cappella di San Carlo is also located in the hamlet of Cornalea. Together with the Cascina Padronale, it provides another named local point of reference. Unlike these sites, the 9 km trail connects Rocchetta Tanaro and Cornalea. A chapel, the historically and ecologically classified Cascina, and a trail connecting two places are therefore distinct elements. This is a clear distinction for planning your trip: you can focus on named places in Cornalea or take the connection to Rocchetta Tanaro into account.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Boglietto, Castello Di Annone, Passerano, Gorra, San Matteo, Castel Boglione, Monale, Castell'alfero.

Go to the main travel overview: Asti.