Province CN
Mondovì, CN
A town split between an upper town on a ridge, called Piazza, and a lower commercial quarter on the Ellero, called Breo, linked by a funicular. The upper town has one of Piedmont's larger historic squares and a concentration of baroque building.
Sights
- Piazza Maggiore, the large arcaded square of the upper town, Gothic in origin
- Cattedrale di San Donato, designed by the local baroque architect Francesco Gallo
- Chiesa di San Francesco Saverio, known as la Missione, 1664 to 1678, with an interior painted by Andrea Pozzo
- Torre del Belvedere, the former bell tower on the ridge, now the town's viewpoint over the plain to the Alps
- Museo della Ceramica on Piazza Maggiore, covering the town's ceramic industry
- Santuario di Vicoforte just outside town, with the largest elliptical masonry dome in the world
Things to do
- Ride the funicular up from Breo instead of driving, it is the honest way to understand the two-level town
- Climb to the Belvedere for the Monviso and Maritime Alps panorama
- Take the short trip out to Vicoforte for the dome
Annual events
January
Raduno Aerostatico Internazionale dell'Epifania
International hot-air balloon meeting around Epiphany, with mass launches over the plain.
When to visit
Early January for the balloons and clear cold air over the Alps, otherwise September and October when the plain is at its best.
