Avigliana
Encyclopedia
Avigliana is a town and comune
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, with c. 11,000 inhabitants, located about 25 km west of Turin
. Avigliana lies in the Susa valley, on the highway going from Turin to Frejus (France).
It is best known for two maar lakes, Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo. In the nearby is also the massive Sacra di San Michele
.
built a castle here. According to some sources, the battle between the Franks of Pippin the Younger
and the Lombards of Aistulf
occurred in the nearby in 750. Later Avigliana depended from the Abbey of Novalesa. Later it was a possession of the House of Savoy
.
Avigliana was captured by Emperor Henry VI
in 1187, but later it was acquired by Thomas I of Savoy
. In 1536, in the course of the Italian Wars
, it was again stormed by French troops. French attacks repeated in 1630 and 1690, the latter with the destruction of the castle.
railroad
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
Province of Turin
The Province of Turin is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin.It has an area of 6,830 km², and a total population of 2,277,686 . There are 315 comuni in the province – the most of any province in Italy...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, with c. 11,000 inhabitants, located about 25 km west of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. Avigliana lies in the Susa valley, on the highway going from Turin to Frejus (France).
It is best known for two maar lakes, Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo. In the nearby is also the massive Sacra di San Michele
Sacra di San Michele
The Sacra di San Michele, sometimes known as Saint Michael’s Abbey, is a religious complex on Mount Pirchiriano, situated on the south side of the Val di Susa overlooking the villages of Avigliana and Chiusa di San Michele, northern Italy. The abbey, which for much of its history came under...
.
History
In 574 the Lombard King ClephCleph
Cleph was king of the Lombards from 572 or 573 to 574 or 575.He succeeded Alboin, to whom he was not related by blood. He was a violent and terrifying figure to the Romans and Byzantines struggling to maintain control of the peninsula...
built a castle here. According to some sources, the battle between the Franks of Pippin the Younger
Pippin the Younger
Pepin , called the Short or the Younger , rarely the Great , was the first King of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty...
and the Lombards of Aistulf
Aistulf
Aistulf was the Duke of Friuli from 744, King of Lombards from 749, and Duke of Spoleto from 751. His father was the Duke Pemmo.After his brother Ratchis became king, Aistulf succeeded him in Friuli. He succeeded him later as king when Ratchis abdicated to a monastery...
occurred in the nearby in 750. Later Avigliana depended from the Abbey of Novalesa. Later it was a possession of the House of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
.
Avigliana was captured by Emperor Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
in 1187, but later it was acquired by Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
. In 1536, in the course of the Italian Wars
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
, it was again stormed by French troops. French attacks repeated in 1630 and 1690, the latter with the destruction of the castle.
Main sights
- Ruins of the castle, destroyed in the 17th century by the French.
- Church of San Giovanni, with several works by Defendente FerrariDefendente FerrariDefendente Ferrari was an Italian painter active in Piedmont.Ferrari was born at Chivasso, near Turin, and worked in the workshop of Giovanni Martino Spanzotti....
. - the Romanesque church of San Pietro.
- Natural Park of the Lakes of Avigliana.
Transportation
Avigliana has two gates on the A32 Bardonecchia-Turin motorway. It has also a station on the Turin-ModaneModane
Modane is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1860.-Transportation:...
railroad