Verzuolo
Welcome to Verzuolo, the lowest town in the Varaita Valley!
Verzuolo is a charming Piedmontese municipality with about 6,400 inhabitants, located in the province of Cuneo, in the heart of the Piedmont region in Italy. What makes it unique is that it is the lowest town in the Varaita Valley, with an altitude lower than the other municipalities in the valley. Let's discover more about its history and monuments together.
History
Verzuolo has a long history that dates back to prehistoric times and developed in Roman and medieval times. In particular, it was the Counts of Verzuolo who dominated the valley in the 12th century, before submitting to the Marquisate of Saluzzo in 1172. Over the centuries, the town experienced moments of great development but also of decay, linked to the struggles for the autonomy of the marquisate, the French domination, and the annexation to the Duchy of Savoy in 1601. In the 18th and 19th centuries, an important textile industry developed, with the production of silk, but at the end of the 20th century, many textile mills closed and the Burgo paper mills opened, founded by Luigi Burgo, which still represent one of the pillars of the town's economy today.
Monuments and places of interest
Verzuolo boasts numerous architectural beauties, including many churches of great artistic and religious interest:
- The parish church of Saints Philip and James, built in the 18th century as the Church of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Anthony by the Capuchin minor friars and became a parish in 1819. A building with a sober but very suggestive style, very popular among the parishioners.
- The ancient parish church of Saints Philip and James, a church dating back to the 11th century and rebuilt in the 15th century. A building with Gothic lines, a splendid example of medieval architecture.
- The Church of the Confraternity of the Gonfalone, built in the 18th century on the site of an ancient 15th-century church that also served as a charity hospital. A very suggestive building that still preserves valuable works of art and frescoes of great historical and artistic value inside.
Verzuolo is not only art and history, but also nature and sports. Among the places of natural interest, we highlight the Bealera Park, a green area of about 1,000 hectares used for grazing, and the Gesso and Stura River Park, which extends along the course of the two rivers that characterize it. Among the sports that can be practiced in Verzuolo are football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and sports dance.
Conclusions
Verzuolo is a truly charming place that encompasses so much history and architectural beauty, but also so much greenery and sports. It certainly deserves a visit to discover all its secrets and appreciate its uniqueness in the context of the Varaita Valley.
