Azeglio

Access

Access to Azeglio is facilitated by its proximity to the main communication routes connecting Turin to Valle d'Aosta, with motorway exits in the Eporediese area and a network of provincial roads that run through the morainic amphitheatre. The municipality is also connected to the rest of Canavese thanks to the road services and railway lines in the area, which allow connections with Ivrea, Turin and other regional centres. The ordinary road network makes it easy to reach the town, both from the main routes and from the local network that connects the surrounding hillside municipalities.

Introduction

Azeglio is a municipality in north-eastern Canavese, in the metropolitan city of Turin, located in a hilly and morainic landscape that announces the great forms of the glacial amphitheatre of the Serra d'Ivrea. The territory stretches between gentle undulations, agricultural areas, woods and flat areas that accompany the western edge of Lake Viverone, with which the town has a long-standing geographical and historical relationship. The built-up area gathers around the slightly elevated historic core, where the bell tower and castle emerge as visual landmarks, while views of the lake and surrounding hills open up towards the plain. Azeglio's position, straddling the provinces of Turin, Biella and Vercelli, gives the municipality a role as a territorial hinge in the northern part of Piedmont, in a humid environment rich in vegetation and aquatic fauna that represents a significant naturalistic resource.

Description

Early settlement evidence is mainly linked to the lake-dwelling area of Lake Viverone, where the discovery of structures and materials from the protohistoric age places the area in a settlement framework of considerable antiquity. The first documentary evidence concerning Azeglio dates back to the 11th century, when the court and castle were linked to the sphere of influence of the bishop of Ivrea. During the Middle Ages, the territory lay along the line of contact between Ivrea and Vercelli, with strategic functions favouring the formation of a new fortified village, known as Borgo Franco, built to the east of the original nucleus of the Castellazzo. Over time, the village passed under various noble families, until its final integration into the Savoy sphere, following the political transformations of the Duchy and then the Kingdom of Sardinia. The link with the figure of Massimo d'Azeglio, statesman and man of culture of the 19th century, who had relations with the local castle, helps to place the history of the municipality in a broader framework of national references.
The traditional economy has been based for centuries on agriculture, forestry and the resources offered by the lake, including reeds and lake grasses used for a local craft specialising in the production and straw-making of chairs. Even today, the economic fabric retains a predominantly rural dimension, with farming activities still widespread and small businesses and services alongside. There is a growing interest in sustainable tourism and cultural activities, which enhance the proximity of Lake Viverone and the hilly landscape. The local architectural heritage includes the Castellazzo, an ancient fortified house in the Villa region, the d'Harcourt castle dominating the historic centre, the parish church of San Martino with its bell tower and the sanctuary of Sant'Antonio Abate, once a reference point for wayfarers along the Via Francigena. Religious and community traditions are alive and are expressed in the patron saint's festival dedicated to San Deodato, celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday in August.
The surrounding area offers numerous possibilities for excursions on foot or by bicycle, with routes that develop along the Serra morenica, through woods, agricultural areas and panoramic points overlooking the lake. The itineraries to the pile-dwelling area and the observation pontoons allow visitors to appreciate the naturalistic and archaeological value of the Viverone basin, set in a context of environmental protection that involves several municipalities and provincial territories.

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Information

Area: 9.96 km²
Altitude: 260m
Maximum elevation:about 300m
Number of inhabitants: 1,227 as of 31.07.2025
Name in dialect: Asèj
Name in dialect: Azegliesi
Bordering Communes: Albiano d'Ivrea, Bollengo, Borgo d'Ale, Caravino, Palazzo Canavese, Piverone, Settimo Rottaro, Viverone
Patron Saint: San Deodato, celebrated on the fourth Sunday of August
Website: www.comune.azeglio.to.it