Avigliana

Access

The municipality is easily accessible both by car, via the nearby Turin-Bardonecchia and the Turin bypass, and by train thanks to the Turin-Modane railway line. The ring road connects it directly to the main centres in the valley and to Turin. The rail service provides quick access to the Piedmontese capital and France.

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Introduction

Avigliana is a municipality located in the heart of the Val di Susa, about 25 km west of Turin, immersed in a landscape that combines history, nature and significant cultural activities. The built-up area rises at 383 m above sea level, circumscribed by a morainic amphitheatre at the foot of Mount Pirchiriano, where the Sacra di San Michele, the spiritual and architectural symbol of the valley, stands. The municipal territory includes Lake Grande and Lake Piccolo, mirrors of water of glacial origin that are now part of the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park, a place of considerable natural interest and destination for numerous outdoor activities such as canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, birdwatching and walks along the shores.

Description

The historic centre of Avigliana has a dense network of cobbled streets, medieval porticoes and cosy squares. Highlights include the Church of San Giovanni, the Church of San Pietro (one of the oldest examples of Romanesque architecture in the Susa Valley) and the remains of the Castle, built in the 11th century and largely destroyed in the 17th century. From the top of the ruins, the panorama embraces the valley and the city lakes. Historically, Avigliana was an important crossroads along the Via Francigena and over the centuries has maintained a key role as the commercial and defensive centre of the valley.
The local economy has evolved over time from agriculture and handicrafts towards the tertiary and tourism sectors, without losing track of ancient production, witnessed for example by the famous Nobel Dynamite Factory, Italy's first dynamite plant, now a visitable museum where Primo Levi worked. The town offers a gastronomic tradition linked to typical local products and keeps its historical memory alive through events, markets and festivals, including the patron saint's day of San Giovanni Battista on 24th June.
In terms of excursions, Avigliana is an excellent access point for numerous hikes through woods, morainic hills and paths that reach the Sacra di San Michele or penetrate into nature on the borders of the Parco dei Laghi. There is no shortage of refuges and areas equipped for slow tourism, as well as cycle paths and viewpoints that encourage observation of the local fauna and contemplation of the landscape.

Information

Area: 23.22 sq km
Altitude: 383m
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Number of inhabitants: 12230
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Neighbouring towns:Almese, Buttigliera Alta, Caselette, Giaveno, Reano, Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, Trana, Valgioie, Villar Dora
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