Chivasso, Province of Torino, Piedmont
Provinces of Piedmont
Italian Regions

Info
- Altitude: 183 m a.s.l
- Population: about 25,000 inhabitants
- Zip/postal code: 10034
- Dialing Area Code: +39 011
- Patron Saint: Blessed Angelo Carletti, a Franciscan from Chivasso well known as the author of the Summa Angelica, a kind of manual for confessors.
- Frazioni & Localities: Betlemme, Boschetto, Castelrosso, Mandria, Montegiove, Mosche, Pogliani, Pratoregio, Torassi
History - Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Two milestones found in the place date its origin to the fourth century AD, though the first historical mention is in a document by Emperor Lotarius I of 843 AD, where the town appears as Clavasium. In 1164 the village was given as fiefdom to the Monferrato marquis, who realizing the strategic position of the small town, at the time a fishermen' river borough, and built here a powerful castle. In the 14th century prince Teodoro I established a mint, and his descendant Teodoro II strengthened the wall and started two wide ditches, called "Cerche", and a number of canals to improve the cultivation of the surrounding fields.
History - Modern Times
In 1705 the town resisted the siege of the French invaders enough to allow to Turin, the capital of the Savoy Dukedom, to get ready to the invasion. In the late 18th century the royal territory called Mandria was used as an important horse breeding center.
In the mid-19th century after the introduction of the railway system Chivasso became an important railway junction point, and its commercial growth was accompanied by important architectural works, such as the Canale Cavour, and in 1870 a majestic bridge over the Po river was inaugurated.
What to see
- The Cathedral, in the gothic style, built in 1415. Inside a 15th century statue of the Virgin Mary, and a fine colored terracotta group of a Pietà consisting of 8 figures and a16th century canvas representing a "Deposition of the Cross" by Defendente Ferrari.
- An ancient medieval tower, the only extant remain of the fortress built in the 11th century by the Monferrato Marquis.
- In the piazza d'Armi, the fine 18th century Palazzo Tesio, with an elegant facade in bricks.