Cambiano

Cambiano has over 5,900 inhabitants and is located 21 km from Turin. A place of ancient origins, the discovery of traces of an ancient Roman building and some bronze coins suggests that the area was inhabited as early as the 3rd century AD. In the Middle Ages, its history intersects with that of Chieri, under the subjugation of the Savoy-Acaja in 1347. In the 14th century, the Ricetto, a medieval fortification accessed through two gates (one of which is still visible), was constructed. The Savoia expanded their domain there between the 1500s and 1600s, and numerous destructions occurred over the centuries, worsened by the plague of 1630. Occupied by the French after 1640, it was annexed to the Napoleonic Empire and returned to the Savoys in 1815. Besides being hit by the plague in 1630, the Cambiano area was a scene of fierce clashes. Succession wars occurred, and during the Thirty Years’ War, after winning the battle near La Rotta di Moncalieri-Villastellone, French troops sacked all the neighboring villages and camped in Cambiano. During the subsequent period, the territory of Cambiano changed hands several times: marquises, countesses, and knights succeeded one another, to be again under French rule during the Napoleonic Empire. With the birth of the Kingdom of Italy, Cambiano entered a phase of development, experiencing a steady population growth due to the arrival of many workers attracted by employment opportunities in the textile industry and kilns.

Places of Interest

The Parish of Santi Vincenzo and Anastasio, rebuilt in the 17th century, with its facade renovated in 1740 according to Vittone’s design. The Tower-gate of the Ancient Ricetto (also known as Porta stellina, dating back to the 13th century, allowing access to the square,the current Via Compajre, which was the only spacious street between the walls), the headquarters of the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso (birthplace of the painter and Senator of the Kingdom of Italy Giacomo Grosso), the Council Hall of the Municipal Palace,featuring works by Cambiano artists Giacomo Grosso, Lorenzo Vergnano, and Onorio Mosso, as well as contemporaries Ferruccio d’Angelo, Giovanni Borgarello, and Cesario Carena, and the Cemetery with the funerary sculpture of the “Bert Nevissano” tomb created by Lorenzo Vergnano.

Cycling and pedestrian track Cambiano-Pecetto Torinese. The cycling and pedestrian track that connects Cambiano to the Madonna della Scala hamlet and from there, with a ring connection, to the municipality of Pecetto, is part of the “Pistaaa: La Blue Way Piemontese” routes, a cycle path to be realized in the territory of Collina Torinese, Chierese, Pianalto, and Basso Monferrato to create a series of cycling and pedestrian connections between different towns through dirt roads or low-traffic roads. The signposts provide information about the area through the “Pistaaa” app, downloadable for free on Android or IOS phones, containing images of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise” created by local artists. The cycle and pedestrian track project was created and designed by the CiòCheVale Social Promotion Association in collaboration with 21 municipal administrations.

MunLab – Ecomuseo dell’argilla. The museum, established in 2001 to convey knowledge of clay processing, is housed in the spaces of industrial archaeology of a century-old kiln. It conducts research, dissemination, and enhancement of local knowledge and memory of places, environmental issues, design, and art related to the landscape and the earth. It collaborates with universities, artistic and cultural institutions, hosts internships, theses, and high-level training and research programs. The Didactic Section has been active for 20 years with continuously evolving proposals, the result of interactive planning among different professional figures involved. Since 2007, Munlab has been part of the Network of Ecomuseums of Piedmont. Since 2016, Munlab has been open to the public with a museum tour and workshops as part of the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte (www.munlabtorino.it).