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Saluzzo (; pms, Salusse ) is a town and former principality in the
province of Cuneo Cuneo (Italian), or Coni (Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Haut ...
, in the
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
region,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc. are found in the surrounding mountains. On January 1, 2017 it had a population of 16,968. Saluzzo was the birthplace of the writer
Silvio Pellico Silvio Pellico (; 24 June 1789 – 31 January 1854) was an Italian writer, poet, dramatist and patriot active in the Italian unification. Biography Silvio Pellico was born in Saluzzo (Piedmont). He spent the earlier portion of his life at Pin ...
and of typographer
Giambattista Bodoni Giambattista Bodoni (, ; 16 February 1740 – 30 November 1813) was an Italian typographer, type-designer, compositor, printer, and publisher in Parma. He first took the type-designs of Pierre Simon Fournier as his exemplars, but afterwards be ...
.


History

Saluzzo (Salusse in
Piedmontese Piedmontese (; autonym: or , in it, piemontese) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, northwestern region of Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regard ...
) was a ''civitas'' (tribal city state) of the Vagienni, or mountain
Ligures The Ligures (singular Ligur; Italian: liguri; English: Ligurians) were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day north-western Italy, is named. Ancient Liguria corresponded more or less to the current Italian regio ...
, and later of the
Salluvii The Salyes or Salluvii (Greek: ) were an ancient Celto-Ligurian people dwelling between the Durance river and the Greek colony of Massalia during the Iron Age. Although earlier writers called them 'Ligurian', Strabo used the denomination 'Celto-lig ...
. This district was brought under Roman control by the Consul Marcus Fulvius circa 125BC. In the
Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
age it became the residence of a
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
; later, having passed to the Marquesses of
Susa Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
, Manfred I, son of Marquess Bonifacio del Vasto, on the division of that principality became Marquess of Saluzzo; this family held the marquisate of Saluzzo from 1142 to 1548. The marquisate embraced the territory lying between the Alps, the Po and the Stura, and was extended on several occasions. In the Middle Ages it had a chequered existence, often being in conflict with powerful neighbours, chiefly the Counts (later Dukes) of Savoy. After Manfred II's death, his widow had to accept a series of tributes, which were to be later the base of the
House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
's claims over the increasingly feebler marquises' territories. Thomas III, a vassal of France, wrote the romance ''Le chevalier errant'' ('the knight-errant'). Ludovico I (1416–75) started the Golden Age of the city and imposed himself as a mediator between the neighbouring powers.
Ludovico II Ludovico II may refer to: * Ludovico II Gonzaga, capitano del popolo of Mantua (1334-1382) * Ludovico II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (1412–1478) * Ludovico II of Saluzzo Ludovico II del Vasto (23 March 1438 in Saluzzo – 27 January 1504) ...
constructed a
tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
, no longer in use, through the
Monviso Monte Viso or Monviso (; oc, Vísol; Piedmontese: ''Brich Monviso'' or ''Viso'') is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps. It is located in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape and, because it i ...
, a remarkable work for the time. With the help of the French he resisted a vigorous siege by the Duke of Savoy in 1486, but in 1487 yielded and retired to France where he wrote ''L'art de la chevalerie sous Vegèce'' ("The art of chivalry under Vegetius", 1488), a treatise on good government, and other works on military affairs. He was a
patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of clerics and authors. In 1490 Ludovico regained power, but after his death, his sons struggled longly for the rule and impoverished the state. After long struggles for independence, the marquisate was occupied (1548) by the French, as a fief of the Crown of
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
– with the name of ''Saluces'' – and remained part of that kingdom until it was ceded to
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
in 1601. In 1588
Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I ( it, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. He was nicknamed (, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression. Bein ...
took possession of the city. Thenceforward Saluzzo shared the destinies of Piedmont, with which it formed "one of the keys of the house" of Italy. The Marquisate of Saluzzo is the setting of Boccaccio's tale of Griselda, the final story in the
Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; it, label=Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dan ...
, as well as Chaucer's Clerk's Tale in ''
The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' ( enm, Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's ''Masterpiece, ...
''. The municipality of Saluzzo absorbed at the beginning of 2019 the neighbouring commune of Castellar, thus enforcing the results of a referendum held in the summer of 2018.''Referendum sulla fusione Saluzzo-Castellar: vince il sì''; article on
La Stampa ''La Stampa'' (meaning ''The Press'' in English) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin, Italy. It is distributed in Italy and other European nations. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy. History and profile The paper was fou ...
of July 16, 2018, se
www.lastampa.it
/ref>


Geography

The municipality of Saluces occupies a vast area of in the
Po Valley The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...
, about east of
Mount Viso Monte Viso or Monviso (; oc, Vísol; Piedmontese: ''Brich Monviso'' or ''Viso'') is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps. It is located in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape and, because it i ...
.


Duomo

The , also known as the Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Assumption, stands out for its
Late-Gothic Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
forms; built outside the walls just beyond Porta Santa Maria between 1491 and 1501, it was a bishop's seat starting from 1511. The façade is in exposed brick, adorned by three portals surmounted by terracotta gables that house statues of the apostles (central portal), while above the side there are the patron San Chiaffredo and San Costanzo. The interior has a covering made up of cross vaults, while the Baroque high altar with its large impact is of great impact eleven wooden statues by Carlo Giuseppe Plura and collaborators. In the central nave, you can admire a precious fourteenth-century wooden crucifix. To the left of the main altar is the Chapel of the SS. Sacramento, with a polyptych by the Flemish artist of French origin Hans Clemer, better known as Maestro d'Elva.


Toponymy

The
Marquisate of Saluzzo The Marquisate of Saluzzo () was a historical Italian state that included parts of the current region of Piedmont and of the French Alps. The Marquisate was much older than the Renaissance lordships, being a legacy of the feudalism of the High ...
was the seat of a
Piedmontese Piedmontese (; autonym: or , in it, piemontese) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, northwestern region of Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regard ...
principality whose history is closely linked to that of its powerful neighbor, the
House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
, until its definitive incorporation obtained in 1601 by Duke Charles Emmanuel. The French name of Saluces was given to the city during the period of French domination. There are many traces of this francization still today as on the pediment of the casa cavassa today transformed into a museum where you can read the motto "right whatever it is."


Main sights

* (1491–1501): Church was built in Lombard-Gothic style. The façade is decorated with rose-windows, frescoes (almost totally faded) and statues. The interior contains a magnificent Baroque high altar, plus a 16th-century terracotta group portraying the ''Deposition'', ad ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' by Sebastiano Ricci. *''San Bernardo'' church formerly belonging to the Conventuals, has interesting tombs of the counts della Torre. *''San Giovanni'': Dominican church begun in 1330 in Gothic style and completed in 1504 with
Bramante Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
sque influences. The façade is
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
. The apse, from 1504, houses a Funerary Chapel of Ludovico II, work by
Antoine Le Moiturier Antoine Le Moiturier (1425–1495) was a French sculptor. He was born in Avignon into a family of sculptors. His uncle was the itinerant French master Jacques Morel (artist), Jacques Morel. Following from the work of Jean de la Huerta beginni ...
(1425–74) covered with green stone and characterized by an elegant play of arches and sculptures. The sepulchre of Ludovico II is a Renaissance work by
Benedetto Briosco 200px, Arca of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Cremona Cathedral. Benedetto Briosco (c.1460–c.1517) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, active in Lombardy. Briosco was born in Pavia, and is thought to have apprenticed in Milan. ...
. Annexed are the Gothic cloister and the Capitular Hall with the Mausoleum of a vicar-general of the marquisate, Galeazzo Cavassa di Carmagnola, a Renaissance work by
Matteo Sanmicheli Matteo is the Italian form of the given name Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Matteo or DeMatteo, meaning " escenda ...
. *
Casa Cavassa Casa Cavassa is a Renaissance architecture, Renaissance-style palazzo in Saluzzo, region of Piedmont, Italy, and the site of the city’s museum, the Museo Civico Casa Cavassa. It is situated in the San Martino village. History Casa Cavassa was ...
: site of the civic museum and rebuilt with a Renaissance interior. *''San Agostino'' and ''San Bernardino'' *''Town Hall'' is the former
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
College, while the older one (1462), with a bold tower, is utilized by the Court of Assizes. The 16th century ''Villa Belvedere'' has elegant rooms with late-Renaissance decorations.


Notable people

*
Alice of Saluzzo Alice of Saluzzo, Countess of Arundel (died 25 September 1292) also known as Alesia di Saluzzo, was a Savoyard noblewoman and an English countess. She was daughter of Thomas I of Saluzzo, and the wife of Richard Fitzalan, 8th Earl of Arundel. S ...
*General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa *Marquess
Michele Antonio di Saluzzo Michele Antonio del Vasto (26 March 1495 – 18 October 1528) was the Marquess of Saluzzo from 1504 until his death. Born in Saluzzo, the elder son of Ludovico II of Saluzzo and Margaret of Foix-Candale, he was Count of Carmagnola until he succee ...
*
Silvio Pellico Silvio Pellico (; 24 June 1789 – 31 January 1854) was an Italian writer, poet, dramatist and patriot active in the Italian unification. Biography Silvio Pellico was born in Saluzzo (Piedmont). He spent the earlier portion of his life at Pin ...
, writer *
Giambattista Bodoni Giambattista Bodoni (, ; 16 February 1740 – 30 November 1813) was an Italian typographer, type-designer, compositor, printer, and publisher in Parma. He first took the type-designs of Pierre Simon Fournier as his exemplars, but afterwards be ...
, typographer *
Corrado Segre Corrado Segre (20 August 1863 – 18 May 1924) was an Italian mathematician who is remembered today as a major contributor to the early development of algebraic geometry. Early life Corrado's parents were Abramo Segre and Estella De Ben ...
, mathematician *
Federico Lombardi Federico Lombardi, S.J. (born 29 August 1942) is an Italian Catholic priest and the former director of the Holy See Press Office. He succeeded Joaquín Navarro-Valls and was succeeded by Greg Burke. Lombardi also serves as the postulator for t ...
, Jesuit priest, director of
Radio Vatican Vatican Radio ( it, Radio Vaticana; la, Statio Radiophonica Vaticana) is the official broadcasting service of Vatican City. Established in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave, ...
* Pier Paolo Maggiora, architect *, soccer dirigent * Paolo De Chiesa, skier *
Magda Olivero Magda Olivero (née Maria Maddalena Olivero) (25 March 1910 – 8 September 2014), was an Italian operatic soprano. Her career started in 1932 when she was 22, and spanned five decades, establishing her "as an important link between the era of th ...
, singer *, partisan * Giovanni Canaveri, related to the
May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...
* Matteo Olivero, Italian painter related to divisionism * Alberto Basso, music historian and lexicographer


See also

* Beato Giovanni Giovenale Ancina *
Castle of Verzuolo Verzuolo Castle ( it, Castello di Verzuolo) is a medieval castle in the Piedmont region of Italy, near Verzuolo, Province of Cuneo. It is located around from the city of Saluzzo and from Turin. History The castle was originally built in the 1 ...
* Diocese of Saluzzo *
Griselda (folklore) Griselda (anglicised to Grizzel and similar forms) is a figure in European folklore noted for her patience and obedience. In literature In the most famous version of the Griselda tale, written by Giovanni Boccaccio , Griselda marries Gual ...
*
List of Margraves of Saluzzo The marquises (also marquesses or margraves) of Saluzzo were the medieval feudal rulers city of Saluzzo (today part of Piedmont, Italy) and its countryside from 1175 to 1549. Originally counts, the family received in ''feudum'' the city from the ...
*
Marquisate of Saluzzo The Marquisate of Saluzzo () was a historical Italian state that included parts of the current region of Piedmont and of the French Alps. The Marquisate was much older than the Renaissance lordships, being a legacy of the feudalism of the High ...
*
Saluzzo Race Walking School The Saluzzo Race Walking School (''Scuola del Cammino di Saluzzo'') is an international race walking school in Saluzzo, Piedmont, Italy. History The school was established in 2002 by the brothers Giorgio, Maurizio and Sandro Damilano. Former c ...
*
Saluzzo Roosters The Saluzzo Roosters, formerly known as the North West Roosters, are a rugby league club based in Saluzzo, Piedmont, Italy. Founded in 2010 as a rugby union club, the Roosters changed to playing rugby league in 2015. They currently compete in the ...


Sources

* *''L'Italia da scoprire'', Guide di Bell'Italia, ed. Giorgio Mondadori, 2006


External links


Saluzzo turistica
official Saluzzo tourist webpage. {{DEFAULTSORT:Saluzzo Cities and towns in Piedmont