Discover Roletto: Church, Forest and Local Traditions

Roletto is a destination where a significant church building, a nature-oriented forest area and local traditions come together to appeal to different interests in discovery. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is at the heart of the town’s cultural heritage: it is Roletto’s most historically and artistically significant building. Its architecture and local history therefore shape an important part of the town.

Church and Frescoes

The vault frescoes in the choir of the church are attributed to the 15th century. The church building also has a 16th-century façade decorated with frescoes. From 1523 to 1802, the church was affiliated with a Carmelite monastery that had special ties to the city of Pinerolo. The façade forms part of the exterior, while the vault frescoes are located in the choir inside. These historical references make the church interesting for anyone who wants to view Italian ecclesiastical architecture not only through its external appearance but also through its history.

The Cappella di San Lazzaro o dei Danesi has an open narthex with segmental-arch arcades on three sides. A narthex is a projecting area at the entrance of a church building; in Roletto, it is distinctly shaped by the arcades. The arcades on three sides define the open form of the narthex in the entrance area. The chapel also features a valuable late Gothic fresco of the Annunciation, which was restored in 2000. The narthex and the fresco are two design elements of the chapel.

Bosco di Roletto and Sentiero Bertrand

Bosco di Roletto was established in 1987 as an area for ecological compensation. The Municipality of Roletto, local AIB volunteers, the Pinerolo WWF section, the Comunità Montana “Pinerolese Pedemontano” and private owners of adjacent forests were involved in its creation. Private owners of adjacent forests were also involved in establishing the area. Municipal, volunteer, association-based and private stakeholders therefore contributed to the creation of this forest area. The period of the church’s affiliation with the monastery ended in 1802; Bosco di Roletto was not created until 1987.

Bosco di Roletto is home to roe deer, wild boar, foxes, weasels, martens, squirrels, dormice and red mice. The area is suitable for relaxing walks in a natural environment, especially for adults. Those who travel slowly can therefore experience the forest from the perspective of tranquillity, landscape and wildlife.

Sentiero Bertrand begins in Bosco di Roletto and passes through the Monte Tre Denti and Monte San Giorgio parks. Sentiero Bertrand is maintained by the local AIB, WWF and CAI associations.

Carnival and Sport

Roletto’s traditional carnival features allegorical floats as well as the local characters Marcu ’d Rolei and Marculina.

Roletto has municipal sports facilities for tennis, small-sided football and volleyball. In football, the municipal offering refers to small-sided pitches in Roletto.

Other places you can discover on your trip to Italy: Ciriè, Torre, San Didero, Didiero, Sparone, Vico Canavese, Andezeno and Brosso.

For the overview of the wider travel area: Turin.