Things to do in Usseglio Italy – what to see attractions and activities

The Castle of Chianocco was built in the 13th century in the historic center of the city. It belonged to the Bertrandi family before being the last home of Adelaide di Susa. The fortress has a multi-storey dungeon and a stone entrance portal. Today, inside its rooms there is the Museum of Ancient Crafts.

The Tower of Chianocco, also known by the name the Casaforte di Chianocco, was built in the twelfth century. It is a Romanesque building in good condition and has maintained the original architectural style. The recently restored tower has a square structure and is 19 meters high. Currently, it is a private property and can only be visited on a few days of the year.

The Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park covers over 11,000 hectares over a large mountainous area that includes part of the upper Val Sangone and part of the ridge that separates the Susa Valley from Val Chisone, beyond to the special nature reserves of the horrids of Foresto and Chianocco. The landscape is characterized by numerous glacial lakes, slopes and ravines carved by water. In the Park it is possible to observe mammals typical of the Alpine habitat, such as chamois, deer and roe deer. Bird lovers will certainly not be disappointed by a visit: there are more than a hundred species. But the Orsiera Park does not only offer wildlife and beautiful landscapes: there are also numerous archaeological traces of the human presence dating back to the Neolithic period. Unlike many other mountain areas in Piedmont, much of this area has remained off the beaten path of mass tourism and still has an almost unspoiled natural habitat, where activity of man is limited to agriculture, forestry and livestock breeding.

53 religious buildings: 5 parish churches, numerous frescoed chapels and votive pylons. The churches and chapels constitute and contain an artistic and architectural heritage of great interest. Info www.barrdonecchia.it

On a hill at the entrance of the Valle di Susa, between Mount Pirchiriano and Caprasio, are the remains of a castle. The oldest news not of the building but of a local defensive system would seem to be linked to the clash between the Franks and the Lombards, which took place at the Locks: probably also the relief of the castellazzo was provided of defensive structures that were part of it. Starting from the 13th century, the Castrum Capriarum was the center of one of the abbey Castellanies of San Giusto di Susa and was also the seat of court and prison. For this reason, it normally housed a small number of soldiers.

Located in the heart of the historic center of Vaie, the Museum Laboratory of Prehistory offers the visitor the collection of experimental reconstructions and casts of the finds of Vayes. The thematic path, completed by a series of illustrative panels, presents aspects of everyday life in Prehistory, with particular attention to materials, technologies and uses. To learn about prehistoric materials, tools and procedures, numerous workshops are active designed for children and adults, also for people with special needs. In addition, demonstration days and internships for adults take place during the year.

Also known as the Roman amphitheater, it dates back to the II-III century after Christ. It stands behind the acropolis of Susa, in a natural basin well sheltered from the winds. It has an ellipse shape of 45 by 37 meters, it is the smallest amphitheater of Roman times present in Italy.

Susa, a city of Celtic origin, became with the Roman conquest a nerve point along the Via delle Gallie. Walking through characteristic alleys and squares you will encounter numerous monuments: the arch of Augustus, built to sanction the alliance pact stipulated between Cozio, local ruler, and Cesare Ottaviano Augustus, first Roman emperor; the Celtic copellated rocks, on which animals were probably sacrificed in the pre-Roman age; the aqueduct of Graziano (4th century AD), of which the two large arches remain; the Castrum ( IV century AD); the Antonina arena (2nd century AD), currently used for re-enactments and shows such as the Historical Tournament of the Villages, which housed the venationes, in which animals were killed before the duels among gladiators; the Savoy Gate (III - IV century AD) on which the Cathedral of San Giusto was leaned, in the twelfth century, the traces of the ancient walls preserved along Via dei Fossali (current Soviet Union Course) . The recent renovation works of the central Piazza Savoia have also brought to light some important structures attributable to the remains of the urban temple, located in the center of the forum.

The cathedral dates back to the 11th century, and has the main center of worship in the area. It is a religious structure, built in Romanesque style, characterized by the white color of the facade. Its interiors preserve numerous architectural elements of a liturgical character, and several works of sacred art: paintings, statues, and reliquaries. Today, despite the age of construction, the cathedral is in a good state of preservation, and is open to the public.

Porta Savoia dates back to the Roman period and is part of the ancient city walls. It is located in an area full of other historical monuments in the city. The structure consists of a round arch, surmounted by two round towers, built for defensive reasons. Today, despite the age of construction, the building is well preserved.

The Castle was presumed to be built in the Middle Ages, this also explains the presence of mullioned windows on the walls, a typical element of that era. Over the years he underwent several restorations, especially in the 18th century, which gave him the present appearance. Today, it houses in its interior the Historical Archives, the Civic Museum and the Library.

In the millennial abbey of Novalesa since 2009, the Archaeological Museum exhibits most of the finds that emerged from the excavation campaigns conducted from 1978 to today, as well as two sections dedicated to monastic history and to restoration of the book. The first room is dedicated to the restoration of the book, art still practiced today in the laboratory attached to the abbey, and illustrates the types of writer supports, the evolution of writing, the techniques of engraving and press, and restoration. The same room also houses the section dedicated to the history of monasticism and monastic life. In the third room there is the largest number of artifacts, grouped according to chronology: fragments of statues, funeral inscriptions, parts of sarcophagi and architectural elements, everyday objects and fragments of fresco pictorial decorations assigned to the intervention of Tolosan Anthoyne de Lhonye.

The Arch of Augustus is located in Susa, in the province of Turin. The construction was erected around the first century BC at the behest of the Roman emperor Augustus and King Cozio. It was built with white marble and rests on two bases. On the top, in the frieze, an inscription in Latin was engraved and a scene of the sacrifice of animals is depicted. Today the monument is still in excellent condition and can be visited for tourists.

The small town of Moncenisio hosts at the ancient “common house” the Ecomuseum Terre at the Border, which illustrates the daily life and the environment of border territories such as those of the Val Cenischia and the Cenischia crossing Moncenisio. The ecomuseal route includes, in addition to the exhibition room, also an external itinerary that touches the common oven, the sink, the mill, the sundials painted on the facades of the huts. In addition, in the area of the Great Lake, some panels illustrate the history of the Fell Railway, which at the end of the nineteenth century connected Susa to St. Michel de Maurienne through the Moncenisio pass.