Gypsophila, limonium, lunaria, thistle flowers, yarrow, and other varieties like settembrini from the chrysanthemum family, cosmos that self-seed, nigella, poppies, and calendula. Alessandra Biglino created Casa Scaparone (https://www.casascaparone.it/) and decided it was time to start experimenting. In a space in front of the “house,” she grows plants and flowers that don’t require water. For Alessandra—who has a passion for flowers and the creativity to arrange them throughout the house, catching the attention of passersby—it is a way to care for the land.
Alessandra tells me what Casa Scaparone was and what it has become. At the end of the 1990s, it was a ruin with an open porch, falling to pieces. “I used to look at it through the gate. We are to the left of the Tanaro, in the Roero region but within the municipality of Alba. The last Scaparone, lawyer Sebastiano, had no heirs and left the property to Marianin and his brother, former residents of the village,” explains Alessandra. It was to them that she turned, always drawn to that farmhouse. When she asked to buy it, the answer was: “Do you want to have children?” The sellers wanted the house to remain alive, hosting a family. At the turn of the new millennium and a new chapter of their lives, Alessandra and her husband Battista accepted the challenge. They brought the house back to life with voices and sounds, and now their children, Carolina and Umberto, work here too.
“There’s an 85-year-old man who was born here, in what is now Room 7, and he comes back every year. Room 12, instead, used to house the village oven. We started as a farm, with vineyards and hazelnut trees.” A walk behind the house leads up the hill, where you can admire the view and find a simple, discreet pool, surrounded by greenery. This is a place where you feel the human touch—of those who tend to plants and vegetables as naturally as possible, which then appear in the dishes served at the osteria.
Behind all of this lies an idea, a vision from someone who has traveled the world, lived in Africa, and, upon returning here, applied knowledge and experiences. Today, I see Casa Scaparone as evocative in every corner, rich in history, with a courtyard that comes to life throughout the year with artisan markets. You’ll see “Poche balle” written around—a Piedmontese saying meaning “No nonsense.” No nonsense and a lot of hard work to bring such a special place back to life.
Don’t expect to find televisions or minibars here. You wouldn’t have time to watch anything else, as you’ll lose yourself in the details of the rooms, the halls, and while walking outdoors. Casa Scaparone steals hearts; it’s hard to forget.