Villar Focchiardo: Certosa di Montebenedetto and Giro dell'Orsiera

Baroque church and Carthusian history

At the heart of Villar Focchiardo stands the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Maria Vergine Assunta, an 18th-century Baroque church. The current building was constructed between 1722 and 1731 after a flood in 1706 destroyed the earlier church in a lower-lying part of the town. The parish church also contains a polychrome wooden crucifix that probably came from the Certosa di Montebenedetto.

The Certosa di Montebenedetto is an old Carthusian monastery at an altitude of approximately 1,160 metres in Villar Focchiardo. It houses a permanent exhibition about the Carthusian Order. The first records of the Certosa di Banda complex date from around 1203, when Andrea di Banda and his family acquired the area where the first grange of the Certosa di Montebenedetto was established that same year.

Medieval traces in the townscape

The Castello dei Conti Carroccio was originally a solid, approximately rectangular building. It served as the seat of the feudal court and as the feudal lord's temporary residence. The palazzo is the old fortified house of Villar Focchiardo and is connected to the town's medieval history as well as the historic crossings of the Susa Valley. The preserved ruins of the imposing palazzo façade, decorated with Ghibelline merlons, are considered an important monumental testament to the town's history.

Hiking trail and regional landscape

The Giro dell'Orsiera is a six-day hiking trail in Orsiera Rocciavré Nature Park, laid out as an approximately 55-kilometre circular route with five stages at mountain huts. Villar Focchiardo is one of the municipalities involved in the regionally registered Giro dell'Orsiera hiking trail. The combination of its duration, circular route and stage structure gives you a concrete basis if you want to focus your stay on hiking and nature.

The Sacra di San Michele monastery and the Sacra di San Michele monument are located near Villar Focchiardo. The peaks of Monte Muretto, Punta Costabruna and Monte Pian Real, as well as the Goja Del Pis waterfall, are also nearby. The ancient Villa Romana Almese site is located in the wider surrounding region. The historic Pilone Della Costa site is also part of the area around Villar Focchiardo.

Choose a holiday apartment based on your personal interests

In 2026, the Sagra del Marrone is among Villar Focchiardo's traditional event dates. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether ecclesiastical and monastic history, monumental traces, the regional landscape or a multi-day hike should be the focus of your trip.

More places for planning your trip

For further regional orientation, you can also find Nole, Val Della Torre, Bruino, Barbania, Gassino Torinese, Caselle Torinese, Salbertrand and Sant'anna.

For the overview of the wider area: Turin.