Fontanile is a small town in Monferrato with 550 inhabitants, characterized by a pretty village of houses headed by the imposing dome of the church of San Giovanni Battista. A few days ago it obtained recognition as a tourist municipality from the Region. Mayor of Fontanile is Sandra Balbo, an energetic and determined woman, in her second term.
Mayor, what does it mean to become a tourist municipality?
«It is a question of being part of territories which, on the basis of parameters and procedures, indicated and applied by the Region, demonstrate that they have a vocation, an attractiveness and a tourist potential; in the Province of Asti today there are about sixty ».
Tourism is a sector on which the administration is focusing a lot, why?
«It is a spontaneous orientation; our territory is of infinite beauty, even UNESCO recognized it in 2014; people who visit Fontanile greatly appreciate the historic village, the murals, the church, the big bench, the wines and our farinata ».
After recognition, what does the administration intend to do from a tourism point of view?
“We continue to work in the direction of hospitality, to facilitate the arrival of new visitors”.
Culture is another issue the country has been working on for years, what development?
«The Civic Library boasts 28 years of activity and there have been many initiatives and collaborations carried out with schools and other libraries in Asti. Thanks to the ministerial contributions, we have purchased new valuable volumes that embellish the already rich section dedicated to the local history of the countries and we have digitized them for online consultation ».
Does the Internet connection work in Fontanile?
«We have free wi-fi in 14 strategic points of the country; we have been awarded a tender with 4europa wi fi which has allowed us to obtain cutting-edge navigation, furthermore we have begun the process for the laying of the optical fiber, in order to facilitate smart working and activities, with an even more connection fast”.
Do you have a dream in the drawer?
“Revitalize our country to attract the interest of hospitality entrepreneurs and become a village lived by many artists”.