Avigliana description and photos - Italy: Val di Susa (Topic)

Avigliana description and photos - Italy: Val di Susa. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Avigliana.

Photo and description

Avigliana is a city of history and art located in the Italian Val di Susa in Piedmont. Its name comes from the name of the Roman family of Avilli, who lived on the plain in the place where the village of Malano is today.

The old medieval center of Avigliana - Borgo Vecchio - lies on the northern slopes of Monte Pezzulano. Since its founding, it has played an important role in trade between western Europe and Italy, as it stood directly on the road to France. During the reign of the Savoy dynasty, its importance only increased. It is also believed that Beato Umberto III (1127-1189) and Count Amedeo VII Rosso (1360-1391) were born in Aviglian.

After Turin was chosen as the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Avigliana has lost its meaning. The defensive systems of the castle, built in the 10th century on Mount Pezzulano to protect the city, also lost their military significance, and the castle itself was turned into an aristocratic residence. The events of the 17th century led to its oblivion - in 1630 it was seriously damaged during a plague epidemic, and half a century later it was rebuilt. Now the castle is almost entirely in ruins.

One of the attractions of Avigliana is its medieval buildings, erected in the 12-15th centuries and reflecting the transition from Romanesque to Gothic style. Among them it is worth highlighting the churches of San Pietro, Santa Maria and San Giovanni with graceful porticoes, aristocratic houses in the squares of Piazza Conte Rosso and Piazza Santa Maria and the city walls.

Since Avigliana is located in the Laghi di Avigliana Natural Park, it is also remarkable for its surroundings. The central hills of the Montecapretto ridge on the northern side of Lago Grande are covered in ash, elm, carob and cherry trees. In these forests you can see huge boulders - silent witnesses of the Ice Age.

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Topic: Avigliana description and photos - Italy: Val di Susa.