San Paolo Cervo
Discover Rosazza
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about Rosazza, a small Italian town in the province of Biella, in Piedmont, which has only 104 inhabitants. Despite its small size, Rosazza is one of the main centers of the high Cervo Valley and offers numerous monuments and places of interest to visit.
History
Rosazza, or "Arsaja" in Piedmontese language, has a long history dating back to Roman times. Over the centuries, the territory was contested by various lordships and noble families, until the dominion of the Kingdom of Italy. One of the most well-known figures in the history of Rosazza is Federico Rosazza, a Senator of the Kingdom and a member of the Mazzinian Young Italy movement, who built the famous castle.
Monuments and places of interest
The castle
Impressive and evocative, the castle of Rosazza was commissioned by Senator Federico Rosazza and built between 1883 and 1899. The project, curated by Giuseppe Maffei, took inspiration from the aesthetics of ruins, with the use of false chipped walls and fake columns and architraves. Inside, the castle houses a large gallery where the nobleman intended to display his paintings. Don't miss the access arch to the castle, which reproduces that of the city of Volterra, and the heads of three women from the valley with a five-pointed star between their hair. In the garden, there is a pond with two stone-carved bears, the result of a recovery work after a flood of the Pragnetta stream.
The Church-Temple
The Church-Temple, located inside the castle complex, was instead conceived by Senator Rosazza to replace an ancient Christian church. The project, signed by Giuseppe Maffei, presents numerous symbolic elements of the Masonic tradition, such as the chessboard floor, the swastika cross, and the ceiling painted as a starry sky. The Church-Temple is dedicated to Saint Simon the Canaanite and connected by a path that goes all the way to the Sanctuary of Oropa.
The building
The current town hall, located in front of the castle, was originally designed by Giuseppe Maffei to house the headquarters of the municipality of Piedicavallo. When Rosazza obtained municipal autonomy in 1906, the building became the new seat of the municipality of Rosazza. The tower decorated with Merlons and the harmonious white marble staircase that gives access to the upper floors are noteworthy.
Conclusion
So here is a brief tour of the monuments and places of interest in Rosazza. A piece of advice: if you are passionate about history and architecture, you cannot miss a visit to this small but charming town in the province of Biella.
