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Agliè
The small town of Agliè is part of the metropolitan city of Turin, Piedmont. It is known for its imposing Ducal Castle, which is part of the Canavese Castles circuit. The origins of its place name are curious: some liken it to the name of the Roman settler Alliacus, others connect it to the name of the ancient Roman city that stood on its site (Alladium), while still others suppose a derivation from the expression "Ala Dei" (God's wing): this suggestive hypothesis owes its origin to the original plan of the castle, which had the shape of an unfolded wing.
Activities in Agliè
Attractions in Agliè
Highlights
A loop winding through the vineyards of Erbaluce and the evocative chestnut woods, starting near the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Addolorata, a ...
Thematic loop route to learn about the geological formation of the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheater, also walkable or rideable on horseback.
A loop that allows visiting the villages and environments at the foot of the mountains of Alto Canavese, the plain, and the beginning of the West ...
Route connecting the main historic centers of the municipalities located in the Morena Ovest area through roads, cycle paths, and unpaved roads.
Route linking the historic centers of Castellamonte, Aglié and San Giorgio Canavese alongside the Caluso canal, formerly called Regia Bealera.
The first section of the Grand Tour starts from Avigliana to reach Biella UNESCO Creative City, passing through the Royal residences of Rivoli, ...
Route that allows you to reach the main itinerary of the Anello della Morena Ovest starting from the center of San Giorgio Canavese via dirt roads.
58km and 900m+ for this section, which offers varied mountain landscapes as it touches three picturesque pre-alpine valleys: the lower Valle Sacra ...
75km route with about 700m of elevation gain, a moderately challenging route that crosses many villages and hamlets of the Canavese area.
45 km with 450 m of elevation gain for a loop route in the heart of Canavese without particular difficulties. Paved roads with a few kilometers of ...
Agliè and its castle
The original nucleus of the ancient town of Alladium probably stood in the hamlet of Madonna alle Grazie in the hills. The first mention as Agliè, however, is in some documents from 1141, but as early as 1019 there is mention of the castle built by the San Martino family, originally from Canavese.
Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons
And it is the imposing castle that connotes Agliè: the monumental facade, the 300 rooms furnished with period furniture, and the Italian and English gardens are able to attract thousands of tourists every year. You may have seen it, too, on TV: it was used, in fact, as a set for some filming of "Elisa di Rivombrosa."
Some traces of the original layout, consisting of a central keep, are still visible, but, following two restorations in 1667 and 1764, today the castle looks like a sumptuous noble residence. After Napoleonic occupation and a period of decay, in 1823 it became part of the possessions of the House of Savoy, which used it as a summer residence, and was restored again. The park during this period was also enriched with a romantic garden and large lake. Finally, in 1939, the castle passed to the Italian state and was used as a museum.
Il Castello di Agliè: Sette secoli di storia e bellezza nel cuore del Canavese.
But Agliè is not only the ducal castle: this locality, in fact, was also the birthplace of two very different famous people:
- Filippo San Martino of Agliè, a member of one of the oldest families of the Piedmontese nobility, who became a man of letters and playwright, but above all the lover and adviser of Duchess Maria Cristina during the regency of the Duchy of Savoy during the 17th century.
- Guido Gozzano, poet and writer exponent of the crepuscolarism current, known for his verse collections, such as La via del rifugio and I colloqui. Today, in Agliè, it is possible to visit his house-museum, Villa Il Meleto, full of the poet's objects and Art Nouveau references.
Finally, in the hamlet of Madonna delle Grazie, we point out the small Church Three Cioché, built in the mid-18th century on the site of a pre-existing chapel, which is distinguished by two bell towers and a lantern, to which it owes its characteristic name.
Between Ivrea and Turin
Agliè lies between two major centers in Piedmont: the closest is Ivrea, while the second is the regional capital, Turin.
Ivrea, whose center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a town not far from the entrance to Valle D'Aosta, washed by the Dora Baltea River and located in an area formed by a Pleistocene glacier, which carried debris that formed a series of moraine reliefs, which we will discuss in the next section.
Its historic center is spread over a hill where the Castello Sabaudo and the Duomo are located, both of which are interesting to visit for architecture enthusiasts. The castle, in particular, built in 1357 with a defensive function, is the emblem of the city because of one of its peculiarities: the fact, that is, that it has only three towers. The fourth, in fact, was blown up by lightning in 1676 and has never been rebuilt.
A curiosity: in Ivrea, in 1910, one of the first Italian cinemas was built, the Boaro cinema, which is still active and has a characteristic Art Nouveau entrance.
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Turin, on the other hand, needs no introduction: on the banks of the Po River, Italy's fourth-largest city by population and the country's third-largest industrial hub, it is loved by many for the elegance of its wide boulevards and squares, and the sophistication of its Belle Epoque cafes. Numerous monuments are worth a visit: the grandiose Royal Palace, the baroque Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Carignano, the Valentino Castle (an ancient Savoy residence), and the Monumental Arcades, which stretch for more than 18 kilometers (12 interconnected). Not to mention the endless examples of Art Nouveau, Eclectic and Art Deco buildings (making it one of Italy's main centers for early 20th-century architecture), the numerous parks, and the Mole Antonelliana, the city's emblem, designed as an Israelite temple but now home to the National Cinema Museum. Finally, the Egyptian Museum, the second most important in the world after the one in Cairo, deserves special mention.
Excursions to Agliè
There are two routes for hikers involving the municipality of Agliè.
The first is the "Morena ovest" loop bike route, suitable for mountain bikers: it is a loop that allows you to learn about the geological formation of the Morenic Amphitheater, the result of glacier retreat in the Dora Baltea valley, which left moraines arranged in a semicircle, in concentric arcs. There are bulletin boards along the route that explain in detail this interesting and unique geological phenomenon. In addition, the route passes through forests, wetlands, vineyards and the towns of Vialfrè, Torre, Bairo and, indeed, Agliè. It can also be traveled on foot, breaking it into two stages, or on horseback.
The second route is a leg of the Alta Via dell'Anfiteatro Morenico, specifically the one that leads from Vialfré to Pricco di Castellamonte. It is a ring path of about 110 kilometers, which can be covered on foot or by mountain bike, tracing the morainic amphitheater through a landscape of great historical, cultural and naturalistic value, rich in lakes, villages, forests and vineyards.
Destinations in Agliè
Localization
