Monferrato is booming with purchases from abroad among the hills and Unesco villages

Part of the demand is for pure investment. Many foreigners choose to turn the purchased properties into successful accommodation businesses, such as B&B or luxury relais. As was the case in the Langhe at the start of the region's success. A type of tourism that chooses Monferrato to stay, with the consequent benefits for the area, from trade to catering. It is a shame to have lost a high-level event over the years, as the Vignale Dance Festival was in its heyday.

An analysis of prices confirms the area's lively market. In the prestigious houses and villas segment, average values now range between 800 and 3,200 euro per square metre, with an average annual growth rate of 5.5%, higher than the Piedmontese average (+4.2%) but above all significantly higher than the national average (+2.8%).

Among the driving areas are Acqui Terme (+6.2%), Terruggia and Strevi (+6%), where foreign demand is pushing up the prices of renovated farmhouses. Nizza Monferrato maintains its leadership in the luxury segment, with peaks of up to 3,200 euros per square metre for homes with vineyards, swimming pool and views of the Unesco hills.

It is a market that is now polarised: on the one hand, small towns such as Pontestura or Camino, where opportunities can still be found at around EUR 900 per square metre; on the other, charming villages such as Vignale, Terruggia and Cremolino, where the foreign component is generating a gradual revaluation of real estate. Although in the villages many houses abandoned over the years and in need of redevelopment are still not finding buyers.

In this way, Monferrato is confirmed as the new frontier of 'accessible luxury': prices are still competitive compared to the Langhe, but its international appeal is constantly growing, supported by unique landscapes, food and wine and quality of life. And perhaps by the ability to tell its story, which until now has been under the radar.

"In the municipalities considered in our analysis," says Fabiana Megliola, head of the Tecnocasa Group's Studies Office, "there is a good trend in buying and selling, with the exception of a few realities. In some of the most popular municipalities, such as Costigliole d'Asti and Nizza Monferrato, there have been recent purchases of rustic houses by people from Northern and Eastern Europe. There is also no shortage of people from Turin and Milan looking for a second home. People often opt for these areas because they are more accessible than the Langhe. In the last three years, the two municipalities mentioned have experienced an increase in prices, for example, and Valenza, too, has recently experienced a period of rediscovery following the opening of the 'Bulgari' headquarters, which, a few months ago, expanded the existing site, thus creating the largest single-brand jewellery production site in the world. With a surface area of 33 thousand square metres," emphasises the head of the Tecnocasa Group's Studies Office, "it doubles its production capacity and aims to employ over 500 new artisans by 2029. This could be positive for the housing market in the area'.

Monferrato is part of a national context of growing foreign interest in buying homes in Italy, both as second homes and as receptive investments. In Piedmont, the number of purchases and sales by foreigners more than doubled in 2024 compared to 2023 (+133 per cent) and is expected to grow by a further 71 per cent in 2025. At a national level, foreign demand is also on the rise, with an estimated 9,500 purchases and sales in 2025: up +17.3 per cent compared to the previous year.