Medieval Architecture - Josette King

The Medieval Gem of the French Riviera — Eze Village

3 February 2025 | Europe, France, Places | 0 comments

Clinging to a limestone outcrop at the edge of a cliffside road halfway between Nice and Monaco, the tiny medieval village of Eze is arguably the most picturesque perched village on the Côte d’Azur.

A Bit of History

The medieval village of Eze clings to the cliffside.

Like the rest of the French Rivera coastline, the Eze territory was populated since ancient times by the usual succession of occupants of the region. However, the first mentions of the village did not appear until the 10th century, after William of Provence drove out the Moors in 973. Then in 1388, the area fell under the jurisdiction of the House of Savoy, who built up Eze as a stronghold because of its proximity to Nice.

The ancient facades have remained unchanged for centuries.

Several centuries of tumultuous history ensued, with the village oscillating between French and Italian rule, until 1860 when Eze was officially designated as part of France by unanimous decision of the local population. But through it all, and although the French King Louis XIV had its castle destroyed in 1706, Eze remained an authentic fortified village.

Beyond the Postern

The Postern is the only point of entry to Eze village.

The only point of entry (or exit) of this “eagle’s nest” perched at the edge of a rocky peak some 427 meters (1400 feet) above the Mediterranean is through its ancient postern (narrow vaulted passageway). Once inside you are immediately transported in a world evoking tales of centuries long past. It is all steep cobblestone alleys at time morphing into steps, lined with tall limestone houses tightly pressed against each other. Exquisite wrought-iron street lamps hang everywhere. And centuries-old cacti and vibrant flowering shrubs claim every bit of unpaved earth.

The White Penitents Chapel

The White Penitents Chapel is the oldest building in the village.

As you wander the side alleys, you’ll come across the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs (a.k.a Chapel of the Holy Cross). One of the oldest buildings in Eze, the chapel served as the headquarters of the brotherhood of the White Penitents of Èze. At the time of its construction in 1306, the region was ravaged by plague epidemics. The Penitents dressed in white robes and hoods to assist the sick.

The chapelle is closed by a wrought iron gate, but when the door is open you can have a good look at the interior, and admire the high altar with its and its crucifix of Catalan origin representing the smiling Christ.

Our Lady of the Assumption

Our Lady of the Assumption was build in the 18th century.

The village church, Notre Dame de l’Assumption was built in the 18th century on the site of the ruins of the previous one. Its elegantly simple neoclassical ochre stucco exterior stands in start contract with its decidedly baroque exterior. Its square two-levels bell tower was added in the 19th century.

A Museum-Village

The narrow lanes are lined with artist studios and boutiques.

With its famed medieval charm and breathtaking panoramic views of the Mediterranean coast, Eze is one of the villages of the Riviera most visited by tourists. As a result Èze is often dubbed a “village-musée” as only a few residents of local origin actually live there. But the place is a source of inspiration for many artists, whose studios and works can be discovered in around the village. It is also home to a host of small boutiques run by passionate designers and craftspeople: jewelry, leather goods and accessories of all kinds.

Good to Know

Getting there — From Nice, it is best to take bus number 82 at the Bus Terminal Vauban for a 25 minute scenic ride to the entrance of Eze Village. The bus runs approximately every hour throughout the week. Note – the service less frequent on Sundays and national holidays

A Few Souvenirs

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Eze Village, France

A Roadtrip Back to Medieval France — Deep in the Aveyron

20 July 2024 | Europe, France, Journeys, Places | 0 comments

Day Three – It’s mid-morning by the time we leave Rodez, the sleepy hilltop administrative capital of the Aveyron, the little known region isolated on the remote southern edge of the Massif Central.

The Aveyron is a land of remote medieval villages.

Soon, we enter what the French call la France profonde (the deepest of the deep heartlands), a sparsely populated land of forested hills, fortified villages perched on ridges and ancient hamlets pressed into the sides of steep valleys. Little seems to have changed here since the Middle Ages, when Christian pilgrims were walking the Camino de Santiago route toward the northwestern reaches of Spain.

The Priory of Comberoumal

The small chapter house features a Romanesque vault.

At the end of a narrow country road, we reach the ancient priory of Comberoumal, founded in the 12th century by hermits of the Order of Grandmont. Built according to the rules of the order, the ensemble consists of a cloister, a square chapter house with a Romanesque vault and triple arched door, a common room and a dormitory. The church features a single nave with a barrel vault, lit only by four Romanesque windows in the semi-circular choir.

The farming complex is still occupied today,

After the order was abolished during the French Revolution (in 1772), the monastery, along with its adjoining farming buildings and lands were declared a national property. It was eventually acquired (in 1820) by the family of sheep farmers who still owns and operates it today, producing ewe’s milk destined to the production of Roquefort cheese. Sheep scattered through the lush surrounding meadows add to the timeless bucolic charm of the priory.

Castelnau-Pégayrols

Castelnau-Pegayrols is a maze of cobbled narrow alleys and arched passage ways.

A little further on, we reach the village of Castelnau-Pegayrols, a medieval gem also still inhabited today. Perched on a hilltop and crowned with the 11th century feudal castle that gave it its name, “Castel-nau” (I.e. new castle) has remained almost intact within its rampart. Its Saint Michel church (circa 11thth century), a fine example of early Romanesque style, remains the village’s parish church. The small Benedictine priory nearby with its lovely mullioned windows is now the village history museum.

The Church of our Lady is surrounded by the village cemetery.

In the lower part of the village, the Church of Our Lady of Castelnau is surrounded by the cemetery. Deconsecrated long ago, it is now used for occasional artistic events. Built for the parish around 1082, after the Benedictine monks settle here and appropriated the church of Saint-Michel, this second purely Romanesque church somehow acquired Baroque mural paintings in 17th century.

Also not to be missed are the remains of a unique medieval hydraulic system that supplied Castelnau with water, operated its three grain mills and controlled the irrigation of the fields.

A millennium of Cheese-making

The village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon abuts limestone cliffs.

Although it only counts around 600 inhabitants, the ancient village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is known worldwide for its ewe’s milk cheese, seeded with a specific mold called penicillium roqueforti and aged in caves where fleurines (natural cracks in limestone cliffs) allow ideal ventilation. The international reputation of the cheese dates back to the writings of the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.). Then in 1411, King Charles VI granted a monopoly to the village for refining it in this manner.

Roquefort cheese is ripened in ancient limestone caves.

The cheese even has its own legend, that it owes its origins to a young shepherd who, while eating his lunch of bread and plain ewe’s milk cheese, noticed a beautiful maiden in the distance. Abandoning his lunch in a nearby cave, he ran off to meet her. We can assume it was a satisfactory encounter since he didn’t return to the cave until several months later, when he discovered that blue mold had transformed his plain cheese into Roquefort.

The aged Roquefort is marbled with penicillium roqueforti mold.

Roquefort cheese is made entirely from the milk of the Lacaune breed of sheep, herded on some 2000 local farms. Today, there are seven producers. The largest volume brand by far is Roquefort Société which hold a 12,000 square meters (130,000 square feet) network of caves several stories high, constructed in the middle ages. The caves and tunnels are still in use today for the ripening of the cheese and account for around 60% of all production. The caves welcome visitors for guided tours year round.

A Link to the Future

The Viaduct of Millau unobstrusively spans the Tarn Valley.

As we wander around this land of ancient villages, we come across a surreal vision. In the distance, anchored to the rim of two high plateaux, the Viaduct of Millau spans the rugged Tarn Valley below. Inaugurated in 2004, this cable stay bridge is a masterpiece a modern technology. In addition to its total length of 2.5 kilometers(1.50 miles), it is also one of the tallest bridges in the world, soaring 343 meters (1,125 feet ) into the sky, supported by seven tapered concrete pylons and a latticework of cables.

The viaduct is supported by slick concrete pylons and a latticework of cables.

Its architect, the celebrated British lord Norman Foster, used light, ultramodern materials to give drivers crossing the bridge the feeling of flying over the valley. He insisted that the roads used to haul materials and equipment during the three-year construction be covered over to ensure that the bridge would be surrounded by unspoiled terrain and blend seamlessly into the timeless Aveyron landscape.

Much is being made of the fact that at its highest point, the bridge is 19 meters (62 feet) taller than the Eiffel Tower. But beyond its impressive height, the viaduct is breathtaking for its sleek, aerodynamic beauty and minimal impact on the surrounding landscape.

Aveyron- Viaduct of Millau.

Good to Know

Getting there —The Millau Viaduct is part of the A75 highway axis from Paris to Béziers and Montpellier, which itself is part of the E11 highway network that connects Calais to the Mediterranean coast.
Visiting — The Priory of Comberoumal is a privately owned property. Individual visitors are welcome year round. Guided visits for small groups are by appointment only. Contact Mr. or Mrs. Bastide. Tel. +33 (0)5 65 62 08 75. The Roquefort Société Caves are open year-round for guided visits. Check website for opening hours. The Millau Viaduct features a visitor center located near the north side of the bridge. In addition to an exhibit covering the construction of the bridge, it offers access to a viewing belvedere with a unique panoramic view of the viaduct (via a long, steep flight of stairs).

A Few Souvenirs

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Castelnau-Pégayrols

A Roadtrip Back to Medieval France — Rodez

2 July 2024 | Europe, France, Journeys, Places | 1 comment

Day Two — The French department of Aveyron is a place few visitors have ever heard of, much less visited. Sprawling across the southern edge of the mountainous Massif Central to reach the South of France, it remains one of the most rural areas of the country, and one of its least populated. Even its capital, Rodez, counts barely 25,000 inhabitants.

Rodez through the Ages

Interior courtyard of Benoit House (circa 12th or 13th century).

The first recorded settlers of the Aveyron were a tribe of Celtic origin who came to the area during the Iron Age. Around the 5th century B.C., they established the fortified settlement that would over time become Rodez atop a high plateau overlooking a gorge of the Aveyron river. Few traces remain of the successive invaders, Romans, Visigoths, Franks and Moors, that laid claim to the area over the following millennium. It was not until the high Middle Ages (10th to 12th centuries A.D.) that the city acquired regional significance.

The Cathedral

The west facade of the cathedral was originally a part of the town’s ramparts.

Rodez was christianized in the 5th century A.D.. The first mention of a cathedral appears shortly thereafter, although little is known of its features. What is well documented is the collapse of its bell tower and the roof of its choir on the 16th of February 1276. The work started shortly thereafter on the construction of the current pink sandstone cathedral. Its soaring bell tower has been the town’s symbol since its completion in the early 1500s. The construction, hampered by the plague and the Hundred Year War, took almost three centuries to complete, which accounts for the evolution of the architectural style of the edifice.

The ibell tower is a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance stone lacework.

The eastern half of the cathedral was reserved for Chapter.

The iconic bell tower is a masterpiece of Gothic Flamboyant and Renaissance stone lacework and, at a height of 87 meters (285 feet) one of the highest flat bell towers in France. In stark contact, the west side façade — the traditional entrance of Gothic cathedrals — which was originally a part of the town’s ramparts, looks all the more foreboding. Therefore, the entrances are located in the north and south facades. Whichever side you enter, you are standing at the halfway point of the 100-meter (328-foot) long nave, and contemplating an unusual sight: two main altars facing off.

The altar for the cathedral chapter (and by extension the clergy) is at the eastern end, and the parish altar (for the common folks) at the western end. They stand as a reminder of the rivalry between the Counts and the Bishops, who for centuries exerted their authority in different sectors of the city.

Altarpiece of the Holy Sepulcher Chapel.

Once you grasp the layout, prepare to be amazed by the richly sculpted and decorated 15th century stalls of the choir, the abundance of wooden statuary and the many side chapels. Most stunning of all is the monumental 16th century altarpiece of the Holy Sepulcher Chapel and its polychrome stone carvings of the Entombment of Christ. We owe this masterpiece to Galhard Roux, a canon of the cathedral who had incurred the wrath of his bishop for his life of debauchery. He commissioned the chapel as a very public act of repentance. It’s interesting to spot his coat of arms, seal (roses and stars) and initials integrated into various decorative elements throughout, as a none too subtle reminder of the identity of the patron.

Highlights of the Old Town

The corner tower houses a spiral staircase.

Benoit House — The historic city center reveals itself in the narrow lanes and tiny squares within the old ramparts behind the cathedral, starting with the Place d’Estaing where a vaulted passageway at the corner of the square beckons you back into the Middle Ages. You are in the cobbled courtyard of the Benoit House (named for its 19th century owner). Built in the latter part of the 15th century, it has retained its gothic style, including its corner tower housing a spiral staircase. The building is privately owned and not open to visitors but the courtyard, with its red sandstone facade and lineup of gargoyles, is well worth a look.

The Armagnac House has retained its residential and commercial functions since Renaissance times.

Armagnac House — Although not related in any way to the famous brandy, this elegant manor house on the Place de l’Olmet is the finest example of Renaissance architecture in Rodez. Built in 1530 by a wealthy and recently ennobled merchant, the house was intended to reflect the social ascent of its owner. It is especially notable for its ornate facade. With a commercial ground floor and residential upper floors, it has retained the same layout and usage to this day.

Detail of the turret pf the Annunciation House.

Annunciation House — Another 16th century commercial and residential Renaissance gem, the Annunciation House owes its name to the remarkable bas-relief representing that scene from the gospels adorning the base of its turret.

Fenaille Museum

The internal courtyard of the Hôtel de Jouéry.

Another exceptional Renaissance mansion is the Hôtel de Jouéry, now home to the Fenaille Museum., a small archeology museum retracing the history of the area from the Paleolithic times to the 17th century. It is organized around four main themes: the statue-menhirs, Roman times Rodez, the Rouergue in the Middle Ages (as the Aveyron was then called), and the 16th century and the Renaissance.

The Fenaille Museum houses a unique collection of prehistoric standing stones.

However, it is its unique collection of 17 statue-menhirs (standing stones) that has earned it international fame. Created almost 5000 years ago, these enigmatic sculptures are the oldest depictions of life-size humans found in Europe. Little is known about the tribes that inhabited the area between 3000 B.C. and 2000 B.C., other than their remarkable ability to create these monumental sculptures. Striking for their intricate carvings on both sides, these elongated forms with oval or rounded heads portray both men and women, adorned with clothing, jewelry, weaponry, and even scarification marks.

Without any surviving oral traditions to provide insight into their meaning or purpose, the true significance of these megaliths remains an intriguing matter of conjecture.

Rodez – Panoramic view.

Good to know

Getting there — Rodez is an easy couple of hours’ drive north of metropolitan Toulouse or Montpellier.
Getting around — The entire historic center is pedestrians only.
Visiting — The Fenaille Museum 4 Place Eugène-Raynaldy.12000 Rodez, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. It is closed on Monday, January 1, May 1, November 1 and December 25.

A Few Souvenirs

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Rodez

A Roadtrip Back to Medieval France – The Abbey of Conques

22 June 2024 | Europe, France, Journeys, Places | 0 comments

Day One — Nestled in the densely forested hillsides of the Aveyron, the remote Southwestern-most corner of France’s Massif Central, the Abbey of Conques reveals itself at a bend in the narrow country road, much as it must have appeared to pilgrims of the Middle Ages.

Conques grew from a small hermitage.

The Abbey owes its origins to a hermit who retired to that very spot in the latter part of the 8th century A.D., to live a contemplative life. Other men joined him and, as their community grew, their small hermitage became affiliated with the Benedictine order in 819 A.D.

Relics Tourism

Conques developped as an important stop on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.

Coincidentally, this was the year when the relics of Saint James the Great (apostle of Christ) were discovered in Compostela by the local bishop. Exactly how and why the remains of the saint, beheaded in 44 A.D. in Jerusalem, made it to the Atlantic shores of northern Spain, is a matter of conjecture. But soon the shrine of Santiago de Compostela became the ultimate pilgrimage site of the Christian world.

At Conques, the small reliquary “From Pepin” has a collection of 9th-11th century items.

The 9th century was a time when the veneration of relics grew dramatically throughout Catholic Europe. Along the pilgrimage routes, worshipers were drawn to the abbeys that held them. The prosperity brought by these medieval tourists proved quite a lure for the monks of the recently minted Abbey of Conques. After some fruitless attempts to obtain their own relics, they turned their attention to the much revered ones of Sainte Foy in nearby Agen. Sainte Foy was a Christian maiden who lived in the town of Agen at the turn of the 4th century. When she was martyred around 303 A.D. by the Roman governor Diocletian for her refusal to recognize pagan gods, her remains were preserved and venerated by the faithful. Over time she became known for her power to cure blindness and free captives, and her reliquary, housed at a local monastery, became a major attraction for pilgrims.

A Furtive Transfer

The statue-reliquary shrine Sainte Foy can still be seen at Conques today.

.The Conques brothers contrived to insert one of their own as an undercover agent at the Agen monastery. There, he posed as a loyal Agen monk for a decade, until he was able to abscond with the relics and return to Conques with them in 866. This highly questionable sleigh of hand was piously recorded in the history of the abbey as a “furtive transfer.”

By the 12th century, Conques had become the first fortified borough in the area.

The village grew around the church.

The arrival of Sainte Foy’s relics in their new home had the desired effect. Her mortal remains housed inside a flashy golden reliquary-statue and her well-publicized powers were enough to turn Conques into a major stop on one of the main routes of the Camino de Santiago, the way to Santiago de Compostela. The abbey prospered as pilgrims streamed through to pray to the reliquary, and hope to be cured of blindness or to secure the release of relatives captured by whichever enemy they had had the misfortune to meet. They also contributed substantial donations, including jewels to be added to the statue of the saint. The ecclesiastic community grew and construction works to expand the abbey went on continuously over the next two centuries. Meanwhile, merchants and tradesmen settled on the sunny slope dominating the abbey. Surrounded by ramparts pierced by fortified gates, the village expanded along a network of narrow cobbled streets leading to the church.

A Medieval Masterpiece

The barrel-vaulted nave soars to exceptional heights.

Protected by its isolated location, Conques has changed little since the late Middle Ages. Parts of the fortified walls, along with three of their gates, still surround the ancient half-timbered houses and the magnificent Romanesque church is now considered the oldest remaining shrine on the Camino de Santiago. Like all pilgrimage churches, Sainte Foy of Conques required a vast layout that could accommodate large number people. However, the hillside location chosen by the hermit a couple of centuries earlier may have been ideal for mediation, but it presented a challenge to the builders of an important church and abbey.

The columns holding the massive arches are decorated with intricately carved capitals. .

Massive retaining walls had to be built to the north side to prevent landslides, and to the south to hold the earth platform for the planned cloister. Even so, the area available for construction remained limited, which explains the unusually compact church plan. Here, the apse has a minimal depth and the nave is quite short (21 meters, or 69 feet) compared with the transept (35 meters, or 115 feet). To compensate for the reduced surface area, the architects developed the height of the building. The narrow, barrel-vaulted nave soars to an amazing 21 meters (68 feet), the sense of verticality still intensified by the open upper gallery which run the length of the nave and transept.

Capitals depict de feats of knights.

In addition to offering strikingly plunging views of the nave, the upper gallery affords a remarkable opportunity to get a closer look at many of the 212 columns in Conques with decorated capitals, including palm leaves, symbols, birds, biblical monsters and scenes from the life of Sainte Foy. These capitals provided educational picture books for the mainly illiterate monks and pilgrims, and some of them are remarkably expressive.

A Warning Cast in Stone

Above the main entrance to the church, the Tympanum details The Last Judgement

There is little exterior ornamentation other than the necessary buttresses and cornices on the fortress-like church, but for one striking exception: a monumental depiction of the Last Judgment on the high semi-circular carved scene that stretches above the central portal. Sculpted between 1107 and 1125, and with the Christ in Majesty presiding over the scene, the Archangel Michael and a demon weigh the souls of the dead on scales at his feet. In all. A crowd of sculpted figures (124 in all) depict the Celestial Court, the angels, the elected, the condemned and other devils come to life.

The lower part of the Tympanum, shows the damned roasting on a spike.

On the bottom level, Heaven and Hell are depicted as roofed buildings, each with an entrance door. On the right side, the damned are forcibly pushed into the Jaws of Hell, where their tortures are shown in graphic details. On the left, the chosen ones are being welcomed by angels, who lead them gently by the hand through an ornate door to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Monastic Buildings

Only a few arches remain of the cloisters.

Few things remain from the monastic building that once sheltered an important community of Benedictine monks. Most of the cloisters have disappeared, but for a few arches around the grassy courtyard on the south side of the church. In the center of the courtyard is a large serpentine (dark greenish stone) basin rebuilt from original parts during a renovation of the cloisters. The gallery on the west side of the courtyard contains some fascinating Romanesque capitals dating back to the late 11th century, representing various scenes of life at the time including an Annunciation, knights in battle, horn-blowers, and even construction workers leaning out over an unfinished tower, holding the tools of their trade.

The Treasury

The statue-reliquary head of Sainte Foy is crowned with jewels and ancient cameos.

The west gallery of the cloisters houses what is considered to be one of the most important medieval treasuries in Europe. The 9th century statue of Sainte Foy, which contains her relics, is the star attraction. It was originally displayed in the church’s choir, encircled by a fine wrought-iron screen protecting it from thieves (An ironic precaution given its history). The statue-reliquary is made of wood completely covered in gold. She wears golden robes and a crown encrusted with jewels and cameos, some dating from Roman times. It is the only surviving example of statue-reliquary shrines that were common in the Middle Ages.

Th treasury contains a unique collection of masterpieces by medieval goldsmiths,

The seated figure is rather masculine in appearance for a young female saint – in fact, the head is thought to have been repurposed from a statue of a Roman emperor. The face has a blank expression but the eyes are piercing. Relics of the saint’s skull are enshrined in the back of the statue. Also in the treasury are over 20 golden art masterpieces by medieval goldsmiths, including an exceptional 9th century chest donated by King Pepin, son of Charlemagne. Also on display is the arm with which Saint George the Dragon Slayer is claimed to have slain the monster. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the relics and treasures were hidden by local residents to prevent them to be confiscated by the state. Remarkably, the entire treasure was returned intact after the political turmoil abated.

Good to Know

Getting there — Located in the remote Aveyron department of the Occitania region in Southwestern France, Conques is about 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Rodez, 185 kilometers (115 miles) northeast of Toulouse and 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Montpellier. It can be reached only by two-lanes country roads. The entire village is pedestrians only. There is a parking lot near the entrance gated entrance of the village.

A Few Souvenirs

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The Abbey of Conques

A Little Known Medieval Gem of the Piedmont — Saluzzo

14 July 2023 | Europe, Italy, Places | 0 comments

In the Piedmont, the northwestern corner of Italy, the ancient hillside city of Saluzzo takes visitors along a maze of charming cobble streets, all the way back to the Middle Ages when it was the seat of the independent Marquisate of the same name. For centuries, specifically from 1125 to 1548, its dynasty of fourteen Marqueses were able to keep at bay the aggressive attentions of their much more powerful neighbors: the House of Savoy, the French monarchy and the Holy Roman Empire.

La Castiglia

La Castiglia di Saluzzo.

A military stronghold was required to support such a feat. Built between 1271 and 1286 behind the original city wall and dominating the entire town, the Castiglia di Saluzzo was originally equipped with four bastions, a moat and a drawbridge. However, in 1492, Marquis Ludovico II (1438-1504) radically renovated the fortress upon the arrival of his French second wife, Marguerite de Foix-Candale (1473-1536). It’s not clear how much the addition of a garden and the massive round tower rising above its ancient walls improved upon it. Suffice it to say that centuries later, the still foreboding castle served as a prison from 1825 to 1992.

Today La Castiglia is home to the Museum of Chivalry and the Museum of Prison Memory, which commemorates the two main functions carried out by the building.

The Church of San Giovani

The Flamboyant Gothic interior of the Church of San Giovani.

Until the construction of the cathedral in the early 16th century, la Chiesa di San Giovani was the most important place of worship in the city. Built by the Dominicans in 1330 on the site of a chapel dedicated to Saint John since 1281, it was finally completed in 1504. Its sober exterior, including the square bell tower with five rows of mullioned windows and octagonal spire added in 1376, harmoniously integrates into the mediaeval context of the ancient city. Meanwhile the interior is a fine example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture. Among its most notable elements are the burial chapel of the Marquises, and especially the white marble monument of the Marquis Ludovico II (circa 1508) by French master Antoine Le Mortorier, and the monumental gilded wood tabernacle at the high altar (circa 1610).

The cloister of the Church of San Giovani.

In the adjoining cloister, commissioned in 1466 by Marquis Ludovico I, a terracotta stonework representing the Visitation is placed on the wall next to the entrance. The capitals of the gallery’s pillars feature the coates of arms of the most prominent families in Saluzzo. The cloister also houses the Cavassa Chapel, with the funeral monument of the General Administrator of the Marquisate, Galeazzo Cavassa (1483) and some well preserved frescoes.

Casa Cavassa

The Renaissance loggia of features Grisaille frescoes.

For all the medieval charm of Saluzzo, the city’s undisputed gem is Casa Cavassa, the Renaissance-style mansion that was the residence of Caleazzo Cavassa and his son Francesco, both General Administrators of the Marqueses of Saluzzo. While traces of a medieval building can be found in the basements and in three ogive windows of the facade, Francesco completely redesigned the property in the early 16th century, in the early Renaissance-style that was becoming prevalent in Northern Italy.

View of the city from the rear of Casa Cavassa.

The new construction took advantage of the sloping terrain to extend over six floors, three underground, including cellars, kitchens and servants quarters, while the reception rooms and private apartments were on the three upper floors. Here the richly decorated rooms feature ornately painted wooden ceilings, frescoed walls and loggias.

Magnificent painted coffered ceilings grace the reception rooms.

The building fell into serious disrepair throughout the following centuries, until it was purchased by Marquis Emanuele Tapparelli d’Azeglio (1816-1890), an Italian diplomat and politician born in Turin. He set out to restore the mansion following the 19th century principle known as “completion according to style”: everything that didn’t date back to the Renaissance was removed and replaced by works of art and antiques dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. According to d’Azeglio’s will, the mansion became a museum upon his death, and the property of the town of Saluzzo.

“Our Lady of Mercy” (Hans Clemer. Altarpiece, 1499-1500).

Even today the white marble portal and the sculpted front door (circa 1520’s), attributed to the sculptor Matteo Sanmicheli from Lombardi, bear witness to the splendor of the mansion at the beginning of the 16th century. The walls of the internal loggia still boast Grisaille frescoes by Hans Clemer, a famous Flemish painter who worked in the Marquisate from 1496 to 1511. The paintings (1506-1511) depict seven of the famous Labors of Hercules. Underneath the balcony, above the mullioned windows, a frescoed decorative band portrays the signs of the zodiac. The itinerary of the visit consists of 15 rooms full of remarkable frescoes, period furnitures and art collections, including the altarpiece “Our Lady of Mercy”, an incandescent masterpiece also by Hans Clemer, painted in 1499-1500.

Good to Know

Getting there—By Road: Saluzzo is about 60 kilometers (40 miles) or a 75 minute drive from the center of Turin via regional road SP 139 or SP 663. It is also accessible by bus from the Torino Esposizioni bus terminal with one connection in Villa Franca Piedmonte. There are several daily busses and the route takes approximately two and a half hours.
Getting around—Saluzzo is definitely best visited on foot. Comfortable footwear recommended.
Visiting—Museo Civico Casa Cavassa, Via San Giovani 5, Saluzzo is open Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and Friday 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Closed on Monday. Contact: Tel. + 39 0175 41455. E-mail. Confirming opening hours recommended. Note: published website was inoperational at the time of this writing.