
Pinerolo (; ; ; ) is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' in the
Metropolitan City of Turin
The Metropolitan City of Turin (; Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ''sità metropolitan-a 'd Turin'') is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin. It replaced the prov ...
,
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
, northwestern
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, southwest of
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
on the river
Chisone
The Chisone (in Piedmontese ''Chison'' or ''Cleson'') is a Italian torrent, which runs through Pragelato, Fenestrelle, Perosa Argentina and Pinerolo in the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is a tributary of the Pellice, which in turn is a tri ...
. The
Lemina
Lemina is a torrent in Piedmont, north-western Italy.
Geography
Lemina source is at 1,382 m above sea level at Monte Faiè, a peak of Monte Freidour in the central Cottian Alps, at the boundary between the communal territories of Pine ...
torrent has its source at the boundary between Pinerolo and
San Pietro Val di Lemina.
History
Archaeological remains found in the center of Pinerolo in the early 1970s testify the human presence in the area in prehistoric times. Remains of the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
necropolis
A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' ().
The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
of Dama Rossa, found during works for the Pinerolo-Turin highway in 2003, show that the area at the time was the seat of agricultural activities.
The toponym of Pinerolo appears only in the Middle Ages, in an
imperial diplom dating from 981, by which
Otto II
Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.
Otto II was ...
confirmed its possession, within the
March of Turin
The March or Marquisate of Turin was a territory of medieval Italy from the mid-10th century, when it was established as the Arduinic March (). It comprised several counties in Piedmont, including the counties of Turin, Auriate, Albenga and, pro ...
, to the
Bishops of Turin. The town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the
dukes of Savoy
The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county. Several of these rulers ruled as kings at ...
. Its military importance was the origin of the well-known military school that still exists today. The fortress of
Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle (, ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about west of Turin.
It is the location of the Fenestrelle Fort, an alpine fortification which guarded the route between t ...
is nearby. Later, Pinerolo was ruled by the
abbot nullius of Pinerolo
The Diocese of Pinerolo () is a Latin Church, Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the administrative province of Turin of Piedmont region, Northwestern Italy. It is a suffragan of the Metropolitan archbishopric of Turin.
The bishop's seat is ...
, who ran the abbey of Abbadia Alpina, even after the city had established itself as a municipality (1247) under the government of
Thomas II of Savoy.
From 1235,
Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV (119711 June 1253) was Count of Savoy from 1233 to 1253.
Amadeus was born in Montmélian, Savoy. The legitimate heir of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva, he had however to fight with his brothers for the inheritance of Savoy' ...
exercised over the town a kind of protectorate, which became absolute in 1243, and was continued thereafter by either the House of Savoy, or its cadet-branch, the House of Savoy-Acaia.
When French troops invaded Piedmont (1536), Pinerolo was conquered; it remained under French control until 1574. It fell again to France in 1631 with the
treaty of Cherasco
The War of the Mantuan Succession, from 1628 to 1631, was caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir from the House of Gonzaga, long-time rulers of Mantua and Montferrat. Their strategic importance led to a proxy war be ...
.
France agreed to hand Pinerolo back to the house of Savoy under the
Treaty of Turin (1696)
The Treaty of Turin, signed on 29 August 1696 by the French King and the Duchy of Savoy, ended the latter's involvement in the Nine Years' War.
Savoy signed a separate peace with France and left the Grand Alliance, an anti-French coalition for ...
, with the conditions that its stronghold's fortifications be demolished and that Savoy withdraw from the
League of Augsburg against
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
.
Economy
The economy of the Waldensian Valleys (right slope of
Val Chisone
The Val Chisone is one of the Occitan valleys of western Piedmont, situated in the Cottian Alps in the Metropolitan City of Turin in north-west Italy.
Geography
Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestr ...
,
Valle Germanasca
The Valle Germanasca is a valley in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, north-western Italy run by the Germanasca stream, a right affluent of the Chisone.
The valley, in the past affected by a strong depopulation, is now partially characte ...
and
Val Pellice
The Pellice (in Piedmontese ''Pélis'') is a Italian torrent, which runs through the Metropolitan City of Turin. The stream is a tributary of the Po River, into which it flows near Villafranca Piemonte.
Geography
The stream is formed at the weste ...
) and of the plain between these valleys and the
Po (river)
The Po ( , ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy, starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is , or if the Maira (river), Maira, a right bank tributary, is included. The headwaters of the Po are forme ...
course revolves around Pinerolo.
Several industries have their base in this area, particularly mechanical, paper making, chemical and textile industries, and also absorb manpower from the nearby population centers.
The leading companies are Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (former Corcos), which produces seals for rotating shafts and valves sterns, Raspini, a meat processing company, TN Italy (former NN Inc.), which manufactures ball bearings, the Trombini Group (ex Annovati), which supplies the furniture industry with chipboard, and
PMT Italia
PMT Italia, whose name means Paper Machinery Technology, supports the paper industry by means of mechanical engineering, automation engineering, on site services and manufacturing of machines for all grades of paper. The company was created in 20 ...
, which supplies the pulp and paper industry with paper machines. Moreover, Pinerolo is the trade center of the surrounding mountain area.
The agriculture and the breeding of the livestock are conducted with advanced techniques. Pinerolo is the centre of the community called Comunità Montana Pinerolese Pedemontano, and the reference city for three valleys:
Val Chisone
The Val Chisone is one of the Occitan valleys of western Piedmont, situated in the Cottian Alps in the Metropolitan City of Turin in north-west Italy.
Geography
Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestr ...
, and .
Pinerolo is famous for being the house city of the first society of mutual help, foundend in 1848. Today, it is still active and also hosts a museum, the Museo Storico del Mutuo Soccorso with historic archives and a library. Health assistance is guaranteed by the Civil Hospital of Pinerolo Ospedale E. Agnelli and by a network of public and private health assistance centres. The Public assistance is inserted in the bigger frame of the Local Sanitary Company (or Azienda Sanitaria Locale ASL TO3).
Main sights
*''
Pinerolo Cathedral'': 9th century Roman Catholic church with a Romanesque bell tower and a Gothic façade (restored after the 1808 earthquake)
*''San Maurizio'':
Gothic style church
*Galup factory, which is famous for the local sweets and cake
*Historical center
*Train station
*Town hall
*Historic Museum of Mutual Help
*Museum of Chivalry
*Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie
People
People born in Pinerolo include:
*
Lidia Poët
Lidia Poët (; 26 August 1855 – 25 February 1949) was the first modern female Italians, Italian lawyer. Her disbarment led to a movement to allow women to practice law and hold public office in Italy.
Career
Poët was born in 1855 in the haml ...
(1855-1949), the first Italian female lawyer and an important figure in female emancipation
*
Luigi Facta
Luigi Facta (; 16 November 1861 – 5 November 1930) was an Italian politician, lawyer and journalist and the last prime minister of Italy before the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini.
Background and earlier career
Facta was born in Pinerolo, P ...
(1861-1930), politician, journalist and last Prime Minister of Italy before the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini
*
Ferruccio Parri
Ferruccio Parri (; 19 January 1890 – 8 December 1981) was an Italian partisan and anti-fascist politician who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Italy, and the first to be appointed after the end of World War II. During the war, he was also ...
(1890-1981),
partisan
Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to:
Military
* Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line
** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII
** Ital ...
and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy for several months in 1945
*
Patrizia Polliotto (1962-), Italian corporate lawyer, entrepreneur
*
Fabio Miretti (2003-), professional football player who currently plays as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for club
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
People imprisoned in Pinerolo's dungeon include:
*
Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (; 27 January 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous weal ...
(1615–1680), marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux,
superintendent of Finances
The Superintendent of Finances () was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was created, the Controller-General of ...
in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
under
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, was imprisoned in the dungeon from January 1665
until his death on 23 March 1680.
* The "
Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask (; died 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner of state during the reign of Louis XIV of France (1643–1715). The strict measures taken to keep his imprisonment secret resulted in a long-lasting legend about ...
" (16??–1703), from 24 August 1669
to September 1681.
*
Antonin Nompar de Caumont, 1st Duke of Lauzun (1632–1723), from 16 December 1671
to 22 April 1681.
People who died here include:
* Nicolas Fouquet (1615–1680); see above.
*
Anna Canalis di Cumiana (1680-1769) (
morganatic spouse of
King Victor Amadeus) died in the convent here.
*
David Llewellyn Snellgrove (29 June 1920 - 25 March 2016), a British Tibetologist noted for his pioneering work on Buddhism in Tibet as well as his many travelogues.
* The Venerable
Bruno Lanteri
Pio Bruno Pancrazio Lanteri, or simply Bruno Lanteri (12 May 1759 – 5 August 1830), was a Catholic priest and founder of the religious congregation of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in northwestern Italy in ...
, priest and founder of the
Oblates of the Virgin Mary, died here in 1830.
Sports
The venue
Pinerolo Palaghiaccio
Pinerolo Palaghiaccio is a 2000-seat indoor arena located in Pinerolo, Italy. The venue hosted the curling competitions for the 2006 Winter Olympics in neighbouring Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and c ...
hosted
curling events at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
.
2006 Winter Olympics official report.
Volume 3. pp. 68-9. The Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
featured a stage in the area during the 2011 and 2024 editions.
The Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an football team Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football.
The nam ...
takes its name from the Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
neighbourhood of Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football.
The nam ...
, which in turn takes its name from this town.
Twin cities
* Gap, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, since 1963
* Traunstein
Traunstein (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a much larger Traunstein (district), district of the same name. The town serves as a local government, retail, health se ...
, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, since 1986
* San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, since 1996
* Derventa
Derventa ( sr-cyrl, Дервента) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Posavina region, northwest of the city of Doboj. As of 2013, the town has a total of 11,631 inhabitants, while the municipality has ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, since 2005
See also
* Diocese of Pinerolo
References
{{authority control
Venues of the 2006 Winter Olympics