Province TO
Pinerolo, TO
A town about 40 kilometres southwest of Turin at the mouth of the Val Chisone. It was French for long stretches of the 16th and 17th centuries, its fortress held the prisoner known as the Man in the Iron Mask, and it later became Italy's cavalry school town.
Sights
- Duomo di San Donato, with a Romanesque bell tower and a restored Gothic front
- Chiesa di San Maurizio, the Gothic church on the hill above the old town
- Museo Nazionale dell'Arma di Cavalleria, the national cavalry museum tied to the riding school that made the town's name
- The historic centre, with stepped lanes climbing from the lower town to San Maurizio
Things to do
- Walk up through the old town to San Maurizio for the view down the Chisone valley
- Use Pinerolo as the road and rail gateway into the Val Chisone and the Vialattea ski area
- Look at the cavalry collection even if horses are not your subject, it explains why the town looks the way it does
Annual events
April
Fiera di Primavera and Pinerolo in Sella
A large spring fair with hundreds of stalls plus horse displays in Piazza d'Armi.
October
La Maschera di Ferro
Two days of 17th-century reenactment with costumed processions, music and craft demonstrations.
When to visit
Late April or early October, for the two big town events and mild weather.
