Who we are

Sometimes also houses have a name, and maybe even a funny one. Our house is named Cascina Ciapilau. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes you smile as you try to pronounce it.

Ciapilau is a dialect word for the mezza luna (halfmoon), the curved knife used to mince especially vegetables and herbs, which once used to be in every kitchen. If you think about it, the shape of that tool resembles a smile.

Val Ciapilau, the small valley that is our house’s namesake, has that shape: it is a crescent. Or a smile, depending on the point of view.

In this valley, surrounded by green hills, you will find the Cascina – or small farmhouse – that my husband Vito and I chose in the Seventies to realize our dream: returning to the countryside of our childhood, in our own house – even if at the time it was barely more than a ruin. Year after year, we turned Cascina Ciapilau into what it is today, thanks to our dedication and our energy.

This is our home and those who want to share with us the silence and the colors of the countryside, the simplicity of being in a family and the infectious energy of a sincere smile, are welcome.

Come and visit us, we are just 7 km from Asti, in a small oasis of peace, where you will feel at home.

Gabriella