Discover Caluso: Erbaluce wine and history

Caluso combines a long winemaking tradition with historic buildings and a section of the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche leading to Lago di Candia. When choosing a destination, wine, local history or a route through the vineyards can offer different points of interest.

Erbaluce wine and tastings

The moraine soil, geographical location and favourable climate make it possible to grow the Erbaluce grape variety in Caluso. Winemaking has a long history here, particularly with Erbaluce, and is considered the most important and prestigious resource in local agriculture. The Festa dell’Uva Erbaluce is dedicated to the winemaking tradition and wine production. It focuses on the indigenous Erbaluce di Caluso grape variety and the wines Caluso Passito, Caluso Spumante and Erbaluce di Caluso.

The festival is regularly held around the third Sunday in September. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the exact date in advance. Another way to discover local wines is the Enoteca Regionale dei Vini della Provincia di Torino, which hosts tastings, including tastings of Erbaluce di Caluso. Tastings take place in restored 17th-century cellars. The rooms include the Sala Rossa and themed exhibition areas dedicated to wine.

Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche and the landscape

Section 02 of the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche runs from Caluso to Lago di Candia. Its starting point is on Via San Clemente, beyond the Castellazzo hill; the route passes through Erbaluce vineyards. This section can therefore be explored both for its destination and for its vineyard landscape. The route and the winemaking tradition offer different perspectives on Caluso: one through a specific trail, the other through local cultivation.

Castellazzo and the old town

Castellazzo, also known as Rocca di Caluso, was built in the 12th century. From the middle of the 16th century, the Spanish reduced it to ruins. At the foot of Castellazzo are the ruins of the Chiesa di San Calocero. The square of the old fortified town was located there. Porta Crealis is one of the surviving gates of this medieval town centre. It dates from the 12th century and was restored in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Palazzo Valperga di Masino was built in the old part of town as the residence of the lords of Caluso. In the second half of the 13th century, the Counts of Biandrate, the lords of Caluso, built the outer portico facing the piazza and the inner portico facing the courtyard. Their orientation distinguishes the two sections: one opens onto the piazza, the other onto the courtyard. The palazzo adds another aspect to the history of the old town, alongside its ruins and surviving town gate.

Churches and architectural history

Several churches and a monastery also reflect different periods of construction. The Convento dei Frati Francescani Minori was begun around 1640 and completed in 1646. The Chiesa di Santa Marta was built between 1726 and 1732 at the joint request of the Corpus Domini and Santa Marta Disciplinanti brotherhoods. An annual Via Crucis procession was associated with the church; it continued until around 1870 and then fell into disuse.

The Chiesa di San Giovanni Decollato was built from 1709 and completed in 1713. It houses two large paintings by Giovan Battista Giani, an artist from Caluso. Construction of the parish church in Caluso began in April 1522. It has a large 18th-century bell tower and a cloister. Together, these buildings represent different stages in the local history of religion and architecture, spanning more than one period.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Garibaldi, Marentino, Druento, Ivrea, Lanzo Torinese, Salbertrand, Sestriere, Borgofranco D'ivrea.

For the main travel overview: Turin.