Saluzzo: Medieval Streets, Art and Margravial History

Saluzzo reveals itself through an unusual concentration of history, architecture and art. The historic centre consists of cobbled streets and squares, narrow stairways, old churches and elegant aristocratic palaces with gardens. At the same time, the rising streets retain their medieval character. Those who walk through this part of the city therefore encounter not just individual sights, but a coherent historic townscape.

The Margravial Era and Historic Spaces

Saluzzo was the capital of the marquisate of the same name from 1142 to 1548. This political past can be explored in greater depth at several locations. The Museo della Civiltà Cavalleresca in La Castiglia comprises 11 rooms dedicated to the courtly and chivalric society of the Marquisate of Saluzzo.

Casa Cavassa is a late-15th-century building and was originally the residence of Galeazzo and Francesco Cavassa. Its museum tour comprises 15 rooms with art collections, including Hans Clemer's painting Madonna della Misericordia. The Torre Civica, built in 1462 as part of Saluzzo's old town hall, combines historic building fabric with a distinctive vantage point over the city.

Reaching the loggia below the top of the tower requires climbing 130 steps. From there, the view extends across the historic centre, the nearby Alps and the plain. Villa Belvedere served as a hunting lodge for the Marquises of Saluzzo in the final years of the 15th century and the early years of the 16th century. The Hall of Honour on the first floor of the Antico Palazzo Comunale also leads into this older urban history: its coffered ceiling features 15th-century mythological, symbolic and heraldic decorations.

Churches, Paintings and Collections

The Chiesa di San Giovanni was the city's most important religious building until the cathedral was built and has been the city's Dominican seat since 1325. One chapel preserves a fresco cycle depicting the Passion of Christ from the third decade of the 15th century. The Cattedrale di Maria Assunta was built between 1491 and 1501 and became the bishop's seat in 1511. Its Cappella del SS. Sacramento contains a 16th-century polyptych by Hans Clemer.

Another focus is the visual arts. The Pinacoteca Matteo Olivero displays 67 paintings, 17 drawings and 2 sculptures. Saluzzo's Biblioteca storica preserves the collection of volumes printed by Giambattista Bodoni, as well as the manuscripts of Silvio Pellico. The Casa Museo di Silvio Pellico preserves a heterogeneous collection that grew through the gradual expansion of the original holdings, which were donated in 1858 by Giuseppina, the writer's sister.

Sacred architecture also includes the late-Baroque La Confraternita della Misericordia, which is also known as Croce Nera. It was designed in 1761 by the architect Marco Ludovico Guarini. Croce Nera opens for special events, concerts and conferences. The Museo della Memoria Carceraria is located in the prison cells of Saluzzo's former prison within La Castiglia.

Crafts and Natural Landscape

Saluzzo has a historic craft tradition in blacksmithing and woodcarving. The Mostra Nazionale dell'Artigianato di Saluzzo builds on this tradition: it is considered an established institution and was held in 2015 for its 77th edition. For visitors who experience culture not only through museums and churches but also through craft-based forms of expression, this aspect is part of the city's distinctive character.

A landscape perspective complements the exploration of the historic city. Saluzzo is home to the Parco Naturale del Monviso. The Mu.Sa Musei Saluzzo service is aimed at all residents of the municipality and at tourists, thereby providing a framework for the city's museums explicitly oriented towards both locals and travellers.

More Destinations

For further options, you can also explore Beinette, Entracque, Venasca, Borgo San Dalmazzo, Fabbrica, Boves, Belvedere Langhe Cn and Santo Stefano Belbo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.