Holiday apartment in Pinerolo: culture, markets and active days

Holiday apartment in Pinerolo for culture and active days

Palazzo Vittone houses the Pinacoteca Civica di Palazzo Vittone, the Museo Civico Etnografico del Pinerolese and the Museo Civico di Arte Preistorica. The Pinacoteca documents the artistic production of the Pinerolese and Piedmont through paintings, sculptures and engravings. The ethnographic museum displays everyday objects, tools, scale models of buildings and other evidence of the tangible and intangible culture of traditional communities in the plains and valleys of the Pinerolese. The collection dates from the late 19th century to the 1950s.

The Museo Civico Didattico di Scienze Naturali “Mario Strani” is housed in Villa Prever, an Art Nouveau building set in a large park. The visit leads from an immersive hall devoted to fluorescent minerals through areas covering nocturnal animals, plains, hills, forests, fungi, aquatic habitats and mountains, and ends with a video about the relationship between people and the natural landscape. The Museo d'Arte Preistorica – Museo Civico di Archeologia e Antropologia presents the physical and cultural development of humans in the Pinerolese since prehistoric times, as well as rock art, documents relating to local archaeology, archives and an educational laboratory.

The Basilica di San Maurizio stands on the hill above Pinerolo and preserves frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries. A visit to the recently restored bell tower of the Chiesa di San Maurizio offers views over the Pinerolese plain, Rocca di Cavour, the Alps with Monviso and Turin. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Liberatrice was built at the beginning of the 17th century in honour of Maria Consolata; after the plague, it received its name in remembrance of the disease’s ending in Pinerolo, which was considered miraculous. Just outside the built-up area lies the Santa Lucia chapel, surrounded by vineyards. It preserves 15th-century frescoes by Bartolomeo Serra and his workshop.

The Museo Storico dell’Arma di Cavalleria is located in the former Caserma Principe Amedeo in Pinerolo and contains more than 20,000 cavalry objects in 42 rooms and 240 display cases. The Museo Diocesano preserves paintings, sculptures, textiles, liturgical metalwork, sacred vessels and archival documents that provide historical context. These include detached 14th-century frescoes, drawings and sketches from the school of Enrico Reffo, as well as cartoons for murals by Michele Baretta. The Casa del Senato houses the permanent exhibition “La necropoli della Doma Rossa e il territorio di Pinerolo in età romana”, with reconstructed tombs and grave goods; it is currently temporarily closed and not open to the public.

Pinerolo’s markets take place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and also include an area with local fruit and vegetables. Characteristic establishments offer the opportunity to try regional flavours, pastries, ice cream and typical local sweet treats. For cycling enthusiasts, the view extends beyond the town: the Pinerolese cycling network covers more than 750 kilometres and runs through plains, hills and mountain landscapes. This makes it possible to plan different kinds of stays—from a historic walking tour to an active day—around specific destinations.

Pinerolo’s tourist and visitor information office provides information about museums, exhibitions, Royal Residences, castles, fortresses and abbeys, events, winter and summer sports, as well as restaurants and historic cafés.

Further places for travel planning

Carella, Salassa, San Giuseppe, Chiomonte, Caluso, Bussoleno, Campiglia Soana, Ruà

For the higher-level travel overview: Turin.