Discover Bandita: Churches, Memorial Sites and Trails

Bandita between Baroque architecture and trails through the valley

Bandita reveals itself through sacred architecture and places of remembrance; at the same time, the Sentiero 561 leads into a valley through which the Rio Meri flows. If you would like to get to know a place not only through a single attraction, but also through its architectural and historical development as well as landscape trails, you will find various starting points here for planning your trip.

Sacred architecture in Bandita

The Church of Santa Croce in Bandita is a Baroque church with a monumental three-storey façade and a tall bell tower. Its construction began in 1834. The bell tower was built between 1859 and 1870. These two dates also make Santa Croce interesting for visitors who are interested in the development of sacred architecture and clearly identifiable construction phases.

Another sacred attraction is the Oratorio di San Rocco in Bandita. The oratory has a Baroque façade, and a statue of Saint Roch is kept inside. In addition, the Oratorio di San Rocco is the seat of a brotherhood that still exists today.

Romanesque architecture and commemorative culture

The Church of the Confraternita di San Giovanni at the della Madonnina crossroads in Bandita di Cassinelle is a Romanesque religious building of considerable historical and architectural significance. Near the Confraternita di San Giovanni, a memorial plaque commemorates partisans and civilians who were killed in Nazi reprisals in October 1944. For visitors interested in history, architecture and remembrance are therefore located close to one another.

A marble monument in Bandita commemorates partisan commander Luciano Scassi. The first clash of the Nazi-fascist raid in October 1944 took place in the Bandita di Cassinelle area; six partisans from the “Giustizia e libertà” group were captured there. Those who explore the history of the place will therefore encounter several specific commemorative markers: the memorial plaque near the Confraternita di San Giovanni, the marble monument to Luciano Scassi and the historical events in the Bandita di Cassinelle area.

Trails and landscape around Bandita

The Sentiero 561 leads into a valley through which the Rio Meri flows. Alongside churches and memorial sites, this trail adds a clear landscape element to your travel planning.

The proposed “I Sentieri della Libertà” remembrance trail can be travelled by car or by bicycle for amateur cyclists and leads to the three significant places of Piancastagna, Bandita di Cassinelle and Olbicella. This trail may be particularly interesting for you if you would like to consider several historical places as part of a shared route plan. Depending on your chosen mode of transport, the route can be considered as a car journey or as a cycling route for amateur cyclists.

Travel information and personal trip planning

From Turin or Alessandria, the route follows the A21/A26 motorways to the Ovada exit and then continues via the SS456, SP205 and SP208 to Cassinelle. This sequence of roads gives the journey from both cities a clear route and connects the regional approach with the final section towards Cassinelle.

Bandita offers a range of themes that can be combined when planning an individual stay in Italy. Couples and families can thus organise their days according to their own rhythm, moving between architecture, remembrance and landscape without reducing the place to a single attraction.

Other destinations

Ponzone, Sale, Tortona, Tagliolo Monferrato, Morano Sul Po, Fubine, Castellazzo Bormida, Strevi

For the overarching travel overview: Alessandria.