Holiday apartment in Moretta: Baroque architecture, castle history and nature trails

Moretta combines sacred architecture, a distinctive castle history and trails through varied landscapes to create a destination with several facets. In the town centre, the built-up area and the surrounding region, you will encounter different themes: churches and frescoes, historic fortifications, a museum, gardens, as well as natural features such as an arch and a summit. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Moretta, you can therefore plan your stay according to the desired balance of local history, nature and regional discoveries.

Baroque architecture and a special annual event

The parish church of Moretta stands in the town centre. It is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary and is characterised by Baroque forms. Its vaults are decorated with a large fresco cycle painted by Costantino Sereno in 1877. Its dedication, architecture and paintings thus create a specific local attraction for anyone who enjoys discovering sacred art through visible spaces and art-historical details.

Another defining building is the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Pilone. It is an example of Piedmontese Baroque architecture built entirely from exposed brick and was constructed between 1685 and 1691. The exposed brick gives the building a clearly recognisable architectural feature. The local tradition also includes the historic Fiera del Cappone di Moretta, which takes place every year on the third Monday in December.

Castle history in Moretta

The imposing castle of Moretta still dominates the built-up area today. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages: In August 1362, Prince Giacomo d'Acaia enfeoffed Agassino Solaro, his son Giovanni, and his nephews Bonifacio and Stefano, the Borgognone, with the castle, the town, the jurisdiction and the fiefs of Moretta in exchange for 21,000 gold florins. The new lords had the castle rebuilt.

At the end of the 14th century, there was a fortified residential settlement beside the castle, with a wall, moat and drawbridge.

Trails between the sanctuary and the river landscape

The Sentieri del cuore circular trail begins in the forecourt of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Pilone in Moretta. The Sentiero delle Ochette runs along small beaches in river bends, streams and canals, shady stands of poplars and lowland forests. These landscape features give the nature theme a very vivid and varied character.

Castles, museum and gardens in the surrounding area

The cultural range also continues beyond Moretta. Castello di Monasterolo di Savigliano is a castle in the area surrounding Moretta. La Castiglia and Castello di Macello are also castles in the surrounding area. The Pinacoteca Matteo Olivero is a museum in the area surrounding Moretta. This means that the region around Moretta offers several distinct themes ranging from castle architecture to art.

The wider surrounding region also includes the Arco Trionfale, a natural arch, and Cima Bracco, a summit. Other garden attractions include Giardini Baden Powell in the wider surrounding region and the Giardino Botanico di Villa Bricherasio in the area surrounding Moretta. These differences may play a role when planning your trip and choosing a holiday apartment in Moretta: local history, trails, gardens and landscape features each add a different emphasis to your stay.

Moretta is therefore suitable as a destination for travellers who want to choose their accommodation based on several interests. A holiday apartment in Moretta places you, conceptually, at the heart of a selection comprising Baroque architecture, frescoes, castle history, a historic December event and nature trails. You can decide for yourself whether the focus of your trip should be on local attractions, regional destinations or landscapes along river bends, streams, canals and in lowland forests.

Further destinations to discover: Monforte De Alba, Chianale, Barge, Mombasiglio, Monticello D'alba, Casalgrasso, Bene Vagienna, Carrù

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.