Holiday apartment in Cissone: churches, art and landscapes

Cissone combines a striking elevation with tranquil landscapes and remarkable examples of religious art. The village overlooks a wooded valley shaped by the Riavolo stream. Cissone itself lies at 661 metres above sea level, while the municipal area extends between elevations of 417 and 682 metres. This topographical range shapes the character of the village, bringing together landscape and local history.

Historic churches in the town centre

The history is particularly concentrated in the town centre. The former church of the Brotherhood of the Disciplinati, the Ex chiesa Confraternita dei Disciplinati, stands directly beside the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Lucia. The building is thought to date from the 15th or 16th century and was completely restored in 1771. Inside, there is an ancient Roman sandstone funerary stele dating from around the 2nd century AD. This site therefore brings together medieval and early modern ecclesiastical history with a significantly older remnant of the Roman era.

The neighbouring parish church, Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Lucia, has three naves, no side apses and three bays. Its furnishings include a painting signed by Geovosius Rodes and dated 1793. It also houses an organ built in 1879 by the Turin organ workshop “Collino Padre e Figli”. Architecture, a historic organ and sacred painting thus stand side by side within a short distance.

Frescoes and places of remembrance

A second historic church is the Chiesa cimiteriale della Natività di Maria Vergine. It was formerly the parish church and has only been referred to as a cemetery church since 1644. Originally, it was dedicated to Santa Maria di Loreto. The entrance portal bears a sandstone IHS monogram commemorating the stay of San Bernardino da Siena.

Inside the church is a late-15th-century fresco by Antonio Bianchetti from Cherasco. This fresco is the only signed pictorial document by the painter from Cherasco. The outdoor area also has a special setting: it lies at one of the most panoramic points in Cissone. This makes the site a place where art-historical details combine with a visit that allows you to deliberately include views across the landscape in your exploration.

The Pilone di San Luigi is another point of historical orientation in the village. It was erected around 1700 and is dedicated to Saint Luigi. Together with the churches, the portal monogram and the Roman funerary stele, it contributes to a multifaceted picture of Cissone, where different eras and forms of religious remembrance stand alongside one another.

Routes through the landscape

Cissone is also part of the La Langa del Dolcetto route and has a stage point on the Strada Romantica. The La Langa del Dolcetto route continues from Cissone to Serravalle Langhe, passing the Chiesa cimiteriale della Natività along the way. In addition, the stage point of the Strada Romantica lies on a hill covered with conifers just outside the municipal area. These two spatial connections allow for different kinds of planning: you can focus on the town centre and its buildings, or give greater weight to the landscape and the routes’ alignment.

More destinations

If you would like to choose further destinations after discovering Cissone, here are the direct destinations at the same level: Castellar, Casteldelfino, La Morra, Viola, Morozzo, Castelletto Stura, Trinità, Sampeyre.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.