Piemonte

Piedmont a renewed region

In 2011, Piedmont has multiple projects scheduled for showing its precious historic and artistic heritage at its best. With all the conservation works in progress, many of the places that formed the settings to the Kingdom of the Savoy dynasty and to crucial events for the country’s unification will be open to the public, offering an exciting picture of history and also of territorial transformations, technological innovations and social changes of the Risorgimento and unification period.
The historic homes and all the places with which the leading Piedmont figures of the Risorgimento are connected have now undergone careful restoration and will be opening important areas for visiting in 2011 as well as inaugurating new display areas.
For a better understanding of the powerful figure of Camillo Benso di Cavour (1810-1861), it is possible to visit the splendid villa-museum at Santena, in the province of Turin, where there are held relics, documents and, above all, the tomb of the Count. For finding out about his innovative ideas in agricultural techniques, it is possible to visit Leri, his land in Trino Vercellese, or Grinzane Cavour in the province of Cuneo, and also discover the reuse of the catchment of the Canale Cavour at Chivasso, close to Turin, initiated by the statesman but only built after his death: even now an indispensable means for ensuring the irrigation of the Vercelli plain.
In the Cuneo Province there are commemorated two famous patriots: Santorre di Santarosa (1783-1825) and Silvio Pellico (1789-1854). To the first is dedicated the new library of the Church of Sant’Agostino in Savigliano (CN), while the birthplace of the second at Saluzzo will become an interesting museum in 2011.
Palazzo Ottolenghi, a prestigious 19th century residence in Asti, has been restored and now contains the collections of the Museum of the Risorgimento, while at Alessandria there are being reorganised and catalogued the prints and the works of the Sala del Risorgimento in the Palazzo Cuttica di Cassine.
In Biella, in the upper part of Piazzo, new and completely restored rooms will be opening at Palazzo Lamarmora which, for centuries, has belonged to the family of the general and politician Alfonso Lamarmora (1804-1878), commander of the expedition to Crimea in 1855.
In Novara, the building work for creating new museum routes within the monumental complex of medieval Broletto are being finalised.
Lastly, among the many personalities of pre-Unification Italy, special attention is dedicated to the Social Saints. Together with new displays in the museum dedicated to San Leonardo Murialdo and Francesco Faà di Bruno in Turin, for the celebrations the newly refurbished exhibition area of San Giuseppe Marello at Asti and the museum route about San Giovanni Bosco at Chieri will both be inaugurated.