Cavallerleone
Welcome to Cavallerleone, the ancient Piedmontese municipality
Welcome back to Italy, this time we take you to the municipality of Cavallerleone, located in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont. As always, before we begin our visit, let's give a brief introduction.
Physical Geography
Cavallerleone is situated in the alluvial plain of the Po River, the terrain is completely flat and its altitude is between 260 and 279 m above sea level. The Maira River and its tributaries, Rio Freddo and Rio Caldo, run through the territory and most of the soil is dedicated to agriculture, with some artisanal areas.
History
Cavallerleone seems to derive from the Latin 'caballarium', meaning horse breeding, and from the personal name Leone, probably the original owner of the land. The municipality first appears with the name 'Cavalario Leone' in a papal bull of 1184, but it is believed to have been founded in the 11th century.
From the 12th to the 14th century, Cavallerleone was contested by the Marquises of Saluzzo, Busca and Savigliano, but eventually became a stable part of the Saluzzo marquisate. In the 14th century, the area was a fief of the Nucetto family, who later submitted to the House of Savoy-Acaja and brought Cavallerleone among their holdings. In 1407, the Nucetto family granted several franchises and privileges, which represent the birth act of the municipality of Cavallerleone.
In the following centuries, several families joined the Nucetto family in the jurisdiction of the territory, including the Balbo, Cacherano, Filippone (with the title of counts), Richelmy, Bercerà, Ceva di Noceto, and Savoia Marquises of Racconigi, all with part of the lordship of Cavallerleone. In 1762, the feudal fragmentation ceased and the territory was assigned to Luigi Vittorio of Savoy-Carignano, Prince of Carignano, until the end of feudalism in the Kingdom of Sardinia (1775). After the French Revolution, Cavallerleone became a municipality again in the new organization of the Kingdom of Sardinia and subsequently in unified Italy.
Symbols
The coat of arms of the municipality of Cavallerleone was granted by decree of the President of the Republic on March 3, 1998.
Places of interest
If you come to visit Cavallerleone, we recommend you to see:
- The Church of San Giovanni Battista and San Giuseppe lavoratore.
- The Castle, which needs renovation and recovery.
- Palazzo Balbo-Ferrero (16th century)
Society
Demographic evolution
According to the data of the National Institute of Statistics as of December 31, 2017, Cavallerleone has a population of 669 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups and foreign minorities
As of December 31, 2017, foreign citizens residing in Cavallerleone are 103, most of them from Romania (26) and India (20).
Culture
Celebrations
Cavallerleone celebrates two important events during the year. On August 9, the town celebrates the patron saint Romano Martire, although no events are organized on this date. The patronal festival of San Giuseppe lavoratore is held on May 1 and is dedicated to the homonymous church, home of the confraternity of San Giuseppe.
We're happy to have taken you on a journey to discover Cavallerleone, an ancient municipality with timeless charm. We hope to see you soon in Piedmont to continue discovering together with our travels.
