Comune
Castelnuovo Nigra lies at 828 metres above sea level on the last foothills of the Alps towards the Verzel and Giavino mountains, in the valley once called Castelnuovo and now called Valle Sacra. It is formed by the union of two villages: Villa Castelnuovo and Sale Castelnuovo, the larger, where the town hall is located and from which the name of the inhabitants (salesi) derives.
Thanks to its position on the hills surrounding the Canavese plain and the favourable climatic elements, the locality is a pleasant summer resort and an ideal base for hiking.
The place name is of obvious significance; in ancient times it was called Sale Castelnuovo, which later became Castelnuovo Nigra, in recognition of the merits of its illustrious citizen Costantino Nigra. The form CASTELLUM NOVUM attested in 1198, alternates with the more classical form of CASTRUM NOVUM from 1205. The first documented historical information dates back to the medieval period, when it was owned by the noble Counts of San Martino.
In the 14th century, the local population, suffocated by abuse, injustice and taxes, took part in the Tuchini revolt to free themselves from the oppression of feudal power.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, it was invaded by the French and Spanish armies, and during World War II it was home to numerous partisan groups.
Historical-architectural evidence of its past includes: the remains of the ancient Castle of the Counts San Martino; the Villa of Ambassador Costantino Nigra, not far from which stands a 17th-century church; and the parish church of San Sebastiano di Sale, which houses a valuable inlaid wooden pulpit. Also noteworthy for its artistic value is the Sanctuary of the Visitation.
Castelnuovo was thus the birthplace, in 1828, of a historical figure of the calibre of Costantino Nigra, a famous poet and hero of the Risorgimento, a philologist, diplomat and Italian politician, as the second part of his name attests. Castelnuovo Nigra’s most illustrious fellow-citizen in the village is still the protagonist with Villa Nigra, although unfortunately in a state of disrepair, which was his property, in Art Nouveau style whose exterior, despite the years, still retains its natural elegance with the classical style necessary to blend it into the ruins of the old castle. Moreover, travelling along the municipal road near the crossroads from which the lane leading to the castle departs, there is a monument, a precious work by Biscarra depicting the bust of Costantino Nigra in the uniform of Ambassador of the Kingdom, erected in 1923.
Thanks to its position on the hills surrounding the Canavese plain and the favourable climatic elements, the locality is a pleasant summer resort and an ideal base for hiking.
The place name is of obvious significance; in ancient times it was called Sale Castelnuovo, which later became Castelnuovo Nigra, in recognition of the merits of its illustrious citizen Costantino Nigra. The form CASTELLUM NOVUM attested in 1198, alternates with the more classical form of CASTRUM NOVUM from 1205. The first documented historical information dates back to the medieval period, when it was owned by the noble Counts of San Martino.
In the 14th century, the local population, suffocated by abuse, injustice and taxes, took part in the Tuchini revolt to free themselves from the oppression of feudal power.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, it was invaded by the French and Spanish armies, and during World War II it was home to numerous partisan groups.
Historical-architectural evidence of its past includes: the remains of the ancient Castle of the Counts San Martino; the Villa of Ambassador Costantino Nigra, not far from which stands a 17th-century church; and the parish church of San Sebastiano di Sale, which houses a valuable inlaid wooden pulpit. Also noteworthy for its artistic value is the Sanctuary of the Visitation.
Castelnuovo was thus the birthplace, in 1828, of a historical figure of the calibre of Costantino Nigra, a famous poet and hero of the Risorgimento, a philologist, diplomat and Italian politician, as the second part of his name attests. Castelnuovo Nigra’s most illustrious fellow-citizen in the village is still the protagonist with Villa Nigra, although unfortunately in a state of disrepair, which was his property, in Art Nouveau style whose exterior, despite the years, still retains its natural elegance with the classical style necessary to blend it into the ruins of the old castle. Moreover, travelling along the municipal road near the crossroads from which the lane leading to the castle departs, there is a monument, a precious work by Biscarra depicting the bust of Costantino Nigra in the uniform of Ambassador of the Kingdom, erected in 1923.
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