Ronaldo set to begin Juve adventure in intimate alpine friendly

Juventus fans will get their first glimpse of superstar summer signing Cristiano Ronaldo in rarified surroundings today, when he makes his debut for the Italian champions at the foot of the Alps a week before the start of the new Serie A season.

Ronaldo, who signed for Juventus from European champions Real Madrid in a shock 100 million euro ($117 million) deal exactly a month ago, will wear the Juventus kit for the first time in the club’s traditional pre-season friendly between Juve’s first XI and a “B” team in Villar Perosa, a small town 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Turin.

Set in a valley at the foot of the Italian Alps, Villar Perosa (population: roughly 4,100) is the home of the family estate and summer retreat of the powerful Agnellis, who, apart from a brief period around the Second World War, have run Juventus since 1923 and established the traditional alpine curtain raiser.

Members of the industrial dynasty -- founders of Fiat car manufacturers and often called the “Italian Kennedys” -- have lived at “The Castle” in Villar Perosa since the 19th century, while deceased former club chairman Gianni Agnelli was town mayor between 1945 and 1980.