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Itinerary 2 - Susa and Novalesa

Last update: July 11, 2024, 11:16 a.m.

church Abbeys and monasteries

bungalow Alpine architecture

swords Archaeology

museum Museum collections

candle Sacred art

Archeologia Abbazie Itinerari

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The Val Cenischia is a lateral branch of the Susa Valley, bearing witness to the ancient medieval routes to France through the Moncenisio Pass.
In Novalesa, on a grassy slope nestled against the mountain, stands the complex of the Benedictine abbey of SS. Peter and Andrew. Founded in 726, it is one of the oldest monasteries in the western Alpine arc and hosted Emperor Charlemagne on several occasions, who endowed it with enormous riches, making it one of the most prestigious centers for the dissemination of Carolingian culture.

The village of Novalesa has accompanied the events of the Benedictine monastery over the centuries and retains traces of its vocation as a place of welcome for travelers before crossing the Moncenisio.

Susa still preserves, in its historic center, the charm of a small alpine town. Its monuments testify to ancient origins and allow a journey through time, from the Celtic era, passing through Roman times to the Middle Ages. The complex historical-artistic mosaic of the city and the Susa Valley can also be reconstructed through the numerous and precious works preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, dating from the 4th to the 20th century, and through the collections of the Civic Museum, in progressive reinstallation at the Castle.