La Loggia
La Loggia: a municipality of the metropolitan city of Turin
La Loggia is an Italian municipality with a population of 8,781 inhabitants, located in the metropolitan city of Turin, in Piedmont. This municipality is located in the southern belt of Turin, only about 12 km away from the city. The territory of La Loggia is delimited to the east by the Po River, bordered by the municipalities of Moncalieri, Vinovo, and Carignano, and features some smaller hamlets such as Tetti Griffa, Sabbioni, and Baraudina.
Lanca di Santa Marta and Banna Confluence Special Nature Reserve
The portion of the municipal territory accessible only from the municipality of Moncalieri and part of the "Lanca di Santa Marta and Banna Confluence Special Nature Reserve" is an important attraction. The reserve is part of the Turin Po Park and obtained the designation of UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2016.
Watercourses
The municipality of La Loggia has several watercourses, including the Po River, the Chisola stream, and the Oitana stream.
Origins of the name
The name La Loggia has several hypotheses regarding its origin. The first hypothesis derives from when La Loggia was a mandatory transit route for those coming from the Marquisate of Saluzzo or Liguria, and therefore the name of La Loggia would derive from the idea of "lodging". The second hypothesis speaks of some farms where mainly poultry was raised, including one with a characteristic presence of a "loggia" that ran through the entire facade, so travelers indicated the group of houses along the way as "those of the loggia". The third and most accredited one attributes the origin of the name to a "loggia" located on the turret of the Galli Castle, which came to mean the entire castle, and consequently, the territories under its jurisdiction became known as "d'la logia".
History
The first document mentioning La Loggia dates back to February 16, 1396, attesting that Giacomo Darmelli acquired the ownership of the "place of La Loggia". Not long after, Giacomo was prosecuted by the judge of Turin for having fortified and built the Castle without having received the license from Ludovico Di Savoia Prince D'Acaja. The solution of this controversy is decisive for the future of the country: Giacomo is acquitted of the punishment he was sentenced to and recognized as Lord of La Loggia. The Prince D'Acaja grants him broad licenses to build and fortify the Castle, to conduct the water from the Oitana in his lands.
For several generations, the Darmelli family continued to increase their economic power, and its members obtained various recognitions, titles, and patents for having distinguished themselves honorably in various circumstances. La Loggia then becomes part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1700 and, after the Italian unification, becomes an autonomous municipality. The city in the following years experiences significant urban and demographic development.
In conclusion, La Loggia has gone through several phases over the centuries and has now become a lively and highly attractive city, both for its strategic geographic location and for the natural wonders present in the municipality.
