Piedmont · Cuneo
Cortemilia
An Alta Langa town split by the Bormida, capital of the Tonda Gentile di Langa hazelnut.
Known for
TONDA GENTILE
Capital of the IGP hazelnut variety that supplies the world's premium confectionery, grown on the Alta Langa slopes around town.
SAGRA DELLA NOCCIOLA
Annual August hazelnut festival, the town's biggest event and a key date in the Alta Langa agricultural calendar.
PIEVE ROMANICA
Romanesque Pieve di Santa Maria on the Monteoliveto slope, built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
MURAZZANO
The commune also lies inside the Murazzano DOP production zone.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J9°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J26°
- J29°
- A29°
- S24°
- O19°
- N13°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Cortemilia sits on the Bormida river, in the heart of the Alta Langa, seventy kilometers southeast of Torino. The river splits the town into two historic borghi, San Michele on one side and San Pantaleo on the other, connected by a Romanesque bridge. The settlement is pre-Roman in origin but expanded under Roman administration, attested by tombstones found around the centro storico.
The Pieve di Santa Maria, on the slope of Monteoliveto outside the town, was built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Romanesque stone, surrounded now by olives and vineyards. What defines Cortemilia is the hazelnut. The town is the recognized capital of the Tonda Gentile di Langa, the IGP variety that supplies most of the world's premium hazelnut paste and confectionery.
The Alta Langa hills around Cortemilia provide most of the 8 to 9 percent of Italian hazelnut output that comes from Piedmont. Every August the town runs the Sagra della Nocciola.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Cortemilia’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 1h 36m by car.
Turin (TRN) is about 1h 46m away.
By car from the centre of Milan 2h 19m.
Coming by train into Torino Porta Susa? Cortemilia is about 1h 27m away by road.
What to see
Pieve di Santa Maria
Twelfth-thirteenth-century Romanesque parish church on the Monteoliveto slope, surrounded by hazelnut groves and olives.
Torre Medievale di Cortemilia
Cylindrical medieval tower on the upper hill, the surviving element of the lost castle that controlled the Bormida crossing.
Ponte sul Bormida
Stone bridge connecting the two historic borghi of San Michele and San Pantaleo on opposite banks of the river.
Hazelnut groves of the Alta Langa
The terraced groves of Tonda Gentile around Cortemilia, source of most IGP hazelnut production in Piedmont.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Cortemilia fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Fiera Nazionale della Nocciola di Cortemiliafood festival
usually held in August. Visit LMR - Langhe Monferrato Roero calendario eventi
Living here
- Population 2,152
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Genoa, 1 h 36 min drive
- Regional capital Torino, 1 h 28 min drive
Common questions
- What is Cortemilia known for?
- Cortemilia is an Alta Langa town at 247 meters split by the Bormida, capital of the Tonda Gentile di Langa hazelnut.
- Where is Cortemilia?
- Cortemilia is a comune in the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont.
- What is the nearest airport to Cortemilia?
- Genoa (GOA), about 1h 36m by car.
- How long is the drive from Milan to Cortemilia?
- About 2h 19m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Cortemilia?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 16 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Cortemilia?
- Yes. Fiera Nazionale della Nocciola di Cortemilia. August is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Cortemilia?
- Campo Ligure, Sassello and Cocconato.
- How many people live in Cortemilia?
- 2,152 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 247 m
- Population: 2,152
- Surface area: 24.99 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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