Avigliana, a Town of Art and History

The first medieval nucleus of Avigliana, the "Borgo Vecchio", is situated on the northern slopes of Mt. Pezzulano.

The name of the town derives from a Roman family (the Avilii family) living in the plain, near the area called "ad fines", where nowadays the village of Malano lies. From its origins, the Borgo Vecchio played an important role in the trade between western Europe and Italy, since it was situated on the route leading to France. Its importance increased with the presence in Italy of the Savoia family. Tradition has it that Beato Umberto III (about 1127-1189), and Conte Rosso (Amedeo VII, 1360-1391) were particularly linked to Avigliana.

The buildings characterizing the passage from the Romanesque style to the Gothic in the medieval Avigliana might date back to 12th-15th centuries: the churches (S. Pietro, S. Maria, S. Giovanni), the walls, the entrances, the porticos, the houses of the nobility in Piazza Conte Rosso and Piazza S. Maria along the historical town center.