Lu: Churches, Art and Viewpoints

In Lu, you can plan your trip around three themes: church architecture, sacred art and viewpoints. The historic buildings differ both in when they were built and in their later artistic design. There are also named viewpoints and a panoramic road to Cuccaro.

Churches and their architectural history

Santa Maria Nuova combines a distinctive spatial design with several historical layers. The church was built around the middle of the 15th century in the Romanesque-Gothic style on the site of the older parish church of San Pietro, which became the San Valerio crypt. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, and it also has three large naves. The architectural design and historical development offer two distinct points of reference when exploring the church.

The Chiesa di San Nazario was built in the 12th century next to the Castrum of Lu. Later work on the church can also be dated precisely: the high altar, balustrade and marble holy water stoups were created in 1724 by the sculptors Pelagatta and Buzzi from Viggiù. The gap between the church’s medieval origins and the date of this work makes its different historical layers tangible.

The early building history of the Chiesa di San Giacomo comes with a caveat: it was probably built near Lu’s defensive wall at the beginning of the 13th century. Its artistic heyday, however, came in the second half of the 18th century. The Baroque façade and the work The Beheading of Saint James, executed by Giuseppe Torricelli of Lugano in 1777, date from this period. This gives the church a different historical focus from San Nazario.

Sacred art and historical traces

The Museo d’arte sacra San Giacomo is located in the historic San Giacomo complex, which comprises the church, the sacristy and the Casa della Reggenza.

The Chiesa di San Giovanni di Mediliano offers another way to explore the area’s history. It was built in the Carolingian period in the valley of the Torrente Grana, an area rich in Roman finds.

Viewpoints and orientation

For a view across the landscape, Big Bench No. 98 is a specific landmark: it stands on Colle San Sebastiano and offers a 360-degree view from the hills across the plain to the mountains. Another viewpoint is associated with the park surrounding a tower in Lu. The tower was built in the 15th century, and the park is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Monferrato.

The Suor Angela Vallese viewpoint is opposite Lu’s town hall, making it easy to locate. For road navigation, the panoramic road to Cuccaro is relevant: it begins in Lu at the intersection of Via Montalto and Via Marconi.

Route maps for Monferrato ByBike are available on Komoot and Google Maps, along with a GPX download.

Agriculture and travel planning

Hazelnut growing is also part of the cultural landscape: it now covers more than 200 hectares in the Lu area.

If you are looking for a hotel in Lu, first decide whether church architecture, sacred art, viewpoints or the landscape will shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Ombra, Montaldo Bormida, Melazzo, Garadassi, Villanova Monferrato, Ottiglio, Conzano, Trisobbio.

For the wider travel overview: Alessandria.