02. AVIGLIANA - BUTTIGLIERA ALTA

Itinerary
Km 2,9 / Elevation change - 32
Having reached Piazza del Popolo and crossed Corso Laghi, the Antica Via di Francia continues level among the fields through to Ferriera of Buttigliera Alta: having gone past the railway overpass, the road comes to the Precettoria (Monastery) of Sant'Antonio di Ranverso. Buttigliera, rising on the side of the moraine hillside, was a hamlet forming part of Avigliana up until 1619, but its history is closely linked to the presence of the Precettoria. This hospital complex was started in 1188 by the order of Sant'Antonio di Vienne and was devoted to assisting the pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena and to the treatment of sufferers of ergotism (shingles). Supported over the centuries by the Savoy, its running was then handed over to the Mauritian Order to which it still belongs. The Gothic style, the terracotta elements in the windows and keystones, and the famous facade of gables make this one of the most beautiful monuments in Piedmont. Inside, apart from the altarpiece by Defendente Ferrari, among the decorations dating back to between the 12th and 15th centuries, the frescoes by Giacomo Jaquerio stand out: the Madonna in trono, the Storie di San Biagio, the cycle of the Passione.
Contacts
, 10051 Avigliana (TO)

45.076291, 7.4016896000001