Marentino has about 1,300 inhabitants and is located 23 km from Turin. The first settlements of Marentino – an ancient Celtic-Ligurian and then Roman settlement – date back to the 12th century, as evidenced by the presence of the two Romanesque parish churches of Marentino and Avuglione and the castle of Vernone. In the 11th century, the territory of Marentino was exchanged between the Nonantola Abbey and the Counts of Biandrate. In 1164, it was donated by Frederick Barbarossa to the Viscount of Monferrato. In 1235, Marentino became part of the Republic of Chieri and shared its fate until its submission to the Savoy. After the creation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it was a fief of the Beccaria of Marentino, the Garetti of Ferrere, the Vagnone, the Cocconato, the Montiglio, and then the Counts of Ceveris, who in 1719 built the Juvarrian Castle of Majolo – their summer residence – just outside the settlement, which is currently a residential historic dwelling.
Places of Interest
The Romanesque Church of St. Maria dei Morti with its terracotta facade topped by a stone twin-arched window, and the presbytery which houses frescoes by the Chieri painter Fantini (15th century). The suggestive village of Avuglione and the castle of the Vernone district, converted into a retirement home. The fun and artistic murals of Marentino in rebus.
Casa Zuccala, a characteristic ‘vigna’ of the Turin hills, was inhabited from the early 1500s by the Zuccala family, notaries and bankers originally from Bergamo. By the mid-20th century, it was abandoned and fell into decay until 1993, when the current owners began restoration work. In 2001, the Cultural Association ‘Casa Zuccala’ was established, and since 2010, it has been opening the historic residence and its garden to the public. The aromatic herb gardens of Casa Zuccala cover an area of 7000 square meters and host a collection of about 1000 aromatic plants that stimulate the pleasure of taste and the sensations evoked by their fragrances, changing in colors throughout the year: from the flowering of rosemary and scented violets in spring, to botanical roses in May and amaranths in summer, from the trimming of mints in June to the harvesting of small fruits and hot peppers in autumn. Culinary enthusiasts are offered the opportunity to learn about spices and aromas from all continents.
Lake of Arignano
An artificial reservoir of about 0.3 km² located on the border between the municipalities of Arignano and Marentino, it represents the largest body of water in the Turin hills. Constructed thanks to Count Paolo Remigio Costa starting from 1840 as a reservoir for collecting water intended for the irrigation of the surrounding crops, to produce ice during the winter, as a fishing reserve, and to supply water to the two mills downstream of the dam. The lake is fed by several small streams flowing from the hilly area. Near the western shore, the Costa counts created an islet where several large trees now grow. Currently, Lake Arignano is essentially a notable wetland area that hosts resident and migratory birdlife. Besides numerous bird species, the basin and its shores provide an important habitat for reptiles, amphibians, and insects typical of wetlands, such as dragonflies.