Alpignano
Greetings from Alpignano, between history and geography
Hello friends, today I'll take you to discover Alpignano, a town in the metropolitan city of Turin in Piedmont. With its 16,519 inhabitants, Alpignano is located in the lower Susa Valley, between 280 and 485 meters above sea level, and has a park and garden area of 1.73 km².
Physical geography
The territory of Alpignano extends over a Rivoli-Avigliana morainic amphitheater, a glacial formation dating back to the last ice age, between 230,000 and 185,000 years ago. Until recently, it was possible to admire a large erratic boulder that was located above the Old Bridge, but unfortunately it was blown up to build a power plant.
The Dora Riparia, one of the main waterways in the region, crosses the territory of Alpignano and divides the town exactly in half. To connect the two sides of the river, there is a very old bridge called "Ponte Vecchio" (Old Bridge), rebuilt in 1736, which connects the two banks at the height of the historic center and the municipal library. During the fascist era, a second bridge was built further west, called "Ponte nuovo" (New Bridge).
Name origins
The name Alpignano probably derives from the Latin gentilic "Alpinius," a term connected with the Alps. The Roman "Alpiniarum" was located along the well-known Gallia route, which through the Susa Valley and the "Alpis Matrona" (Montgenevre), connected Italy with Gallia Narbonense, and then reached the Arc Valley through the "Alpis Cotia" (Moncenisio).
History
The Roman Era and Epigraphs
The territory of Alpignano was inhabited in the pre-Roman era by the Taurini or Taurisci, a Ligurian tribe, and later by the Gauls. The Roman conquest transformed it into a Roman colony. During the excavations of 1832, tombs with furnishings and three marble epigraphs were discovered and studied and published by Theodor Mommsen in the "Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum."
From the Middle Ages to the present day
During the Middle Ages, Alpignano was involved in the events of the time, passing from the Savoy to the French and vice versa. In 1720, it definitively returned to Savoy, and in 1860 was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. In the twentieth century, with the population growth and the expansion of the urban fabric, Alpignano was transformed into an important commercial and industrial center.
Today, the town has a strong cultural and artistic vocation. In the historic center, you can visit the ecomuseum dedicated to the work of Alessandro Cruto, a prominent figure in Turin's nineteenth-century painting. Walking through the streets of the town, you can admire glimpses and historic buildings, such as the Castle of Taulani, the Church of San Martino, the Bell Tower, and the Tower of Ongarie.
Conclusions
Alpignano is a small town in the metropolitan area of Turin where history and geography merge, creating a reality rich in charm and tradition. I hope this brief journey has piqued your curiosity and made you want to discover this splendid location. Greetings from Alpignano!
