Cigliano: History, Canestrelli and Regional Excursions

Cigliano lies on the edge of the Vercelli rice-growing area and is known for fruit and vegetable cultivation. The first written mention of Cigliano appears in the diploma of Charles the Fat from the year 882. The local speciality Canestrelli di Cigliano also gives the town its own culinary profile: they are made with an iron mould featuring a honeycomb pattern and are considerably thicker than the Canestrelli from Canavese. If you are looking for historical references, rural landscapes and regional products for your trip to Italy, Cigliano offers several specific points of interest.

Parish Church and Finds

The parish church of Sant’Emiliano in Cigliano was built from 1791 onwards on the remains of an ancient temple. In addition, silver and copper coins, terracotta vessels and graves containing skeletons were found in Cigliano. This gives you direct access to different periods of the town’s history: the church construction points to the creation of a religious building, while the finds make older traces at the site visible.

Castles, Museum and Nature in the Wider Area

The wider regional area around Cigliano is home to Castello e Parco di Masino, a castle, Castello Benso, a castle, and Castello Di Roppolo, a castle. The Museo Clizia - Palazzo Luigi Einaudi, a museum, is also located in the same wider regional area. In addition, there are the parks Parco di Via Togliatti and Parco del Mauriziano, as well as the river park Parco Fluviale del Bricel. The natural rock formation Porta della Torrazza, a natural arch, is also located there. The range of possible excursion interests therefore extends from castles and a museum to parks, a river landscape and a striking rock formation.

Leisure and Cycle Path

The Jolly Club in Cigliano offers an Olympic-size swimming pool, slides, beach volleyball and a hydromassage pool. The various facilities are available side by side and provide a distinct focus among the town’s leisure options. For orientation by bicycle, Cigliano is connected to the Risaie Ciclabili cycle path, Route No. 6. The combination of the Vercelli rice-growing area and this cycle-path connection also makes the landscape interesting from an activity-oriented perspective, without limiting the town to just one type of travel.

Fiera di Sant’Emiliano and Cultural Walk

The Fiera di Sant’Emiliano in Cigliano features crafts, agriculture, hobby activities, gastronomy and wine, trade, antiques and games for children. The festival thus brings together different local themes within a shared setting. In addition, the Associazione culturale Via Romea Canavesana organises a cultural walk every year in the afternoon of St Stephen’s Day. If you would like to shape your stay around regional everyday culture, festivals and historical references, these two events are specific points of interest in Cigliano.

Further Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also explore Santhià, Campertogno, Carisio, Rimella, Crescentino, Balmuccia, Motta Dè Conti and Livorno Ferraris.

To the higher-level travel overview: Vercelli.