Savigliano between history, fragrances and the Maira riverbank forests

Savigliano between history and regional character

Savigliano can be discovered through its squares, historic buildings, museums and paths along the Maira. Here, insights into the art of perfumery meet sacred history, contemporary installations and a deeply rooted local culinary culture. This gives you a range of options for planning your trip: historic spaces, short explorations on foot or by bicycle, and excursions into nature shaped by riverbank forests.

Museums, fragrances and art

At the heart of a special cultural experience is the MÚSES – Accademia Europea delle Essenze. This techno-sensory museum takes the rediscovery of aromatic herbs from Piedmont as the starting point for a transnational journey through the knowledge of the art of perfumery and the aromas and essences of different regions. MÚSES includes site-specific works by contemporary international artists, multisensory installations and multifunctional scientific laboratories. Experience-oriented guided tours take place from Thursday to Saturday at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm, and on Sundays at 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. The Atelier del Profumiere starts from Thursday to Sunday at 3:30 pm.

The Museo Civico di Savigliano bears the name Antonino Olmo and has been located since 1970 in the complex of the monastery and church of San Francesco. The Friars Minor of the Observance built it from 1661 onwards according to the rule of Saint Francis. The former church of San Francesco is also home in its entirety to the nationally significant Gipsoteca Davide Calandra. It contains more than one hundred works by the Turin sculptor Davide Calandra (1856–1915), including plaster, clay and terracotta casts, sketches and models. The church of San Pietro is part of a significant Benedictine monastery complex of very ancient origin, built on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Diana.

Palazzi and squares in the historic centre

Piazza Vecchia is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Piedmont. Its origins date back to the beginning of the 13th century, when Savigliano became a free municipality and local noble families built fortified houses with a frontage facing the piazza. Palazzo Taffini d’Acceglio is considered to have been built around 1620 on plots acquired by the Taffini family from 1603 onwards; after the death of Colonel Camillo Taffini in 1629, the building passed to his first-born son, Giusto Aurelio. The building comprises two interior façades facing the courtyard, with an arcaded passage and two open galleries supported by paired Doric columns made of golden sandstone.

Palazzo Muratori Cravetta also displays the city’s representative architecture: the courtyard of honour has a façade decorated with frescoes and stucco from the early 17th century, along with an Italian-style garden and a monumental hall. It can be visited from 4 April on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 am and 2:00 pm; reservations are required.

Paths along the Maira and local traditions

The section of the Sentiero sul Maira near Savigliano can be explored on foot, on horseback and by mountain bike, and is equipped with information about the route and the nature it passes through. The entire trail runs from Racconigi to Villar San Costanzo and also passes through Cavallerleone, Cavallermaggiore, Savigliano, Vottignasco, Villafalletto and Busca, among other places. Near Savigliano, the riverbank forests run linearly along the water; silver willows, white poplars, black poplars and locust trees predominate. The natural vegetation also includes bramble thickets, elderberry, common dogwood, hawthorn and hazel, as well as individual stands of mature pedunculate oaks and ash trees. The recommended routes through Savigliano can be explored on foot or by bicycle and lie within a limited area of the historic centre, most of which is pedestrianised or has little car traffic.

Paulin, the traditional aperitif of the people of Savigliano, is part of the local everyday culture. The historic Pasticceria Scaraffia preserves a secret recipe for it. The Festa del Pane in Savigliano celebrates this tradition and takes place every two years on the last weekend of September. The Festa della Madonna della Sanità is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the Feast of the Assumption; the following Tuesday is the patronal festival of the people of Savigliano.

Sacred sites and practical information

The Santuario della Madonna della Sanità houses a museum of votive offerings with several hundred objects, including painted panels and votive offerings on fabric. The museum can be visited in August during the patronal celebrations, and at other times by prior arrangement. Admission to the Museo degli Ex Voto is free. It was established in 2001 by restoring several rooms in the 18th-century wing of the sanctuary complex. For travel by train, Savigliano station is served by the Turin–Savona and Turin–Cuneo lines; trains run there every half hour.

Further destinations to choose from: Casa Fornace, Canosio, Miroglio, Frassino, Breolungi, Alba, Cherasco, Cavaliggi

Back to the main travel overview: Cuneo.