Castellamonte: Ceramics, Churches and Landscape

In Castellamonte, ceramics take several forms: monumental art, collections and craftsmanship. The town is also home to churches with their own architectural and traditional histories, as well as the Monti Pelati Nature Reserve with its rugged landscape. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these different points of interest can help guide your plans: would you mainly like to explore ceramics and architectural history, or include nature as well?

Ceramics as Art, Craft and Collection

The Arco di Pomodoro commemorates sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro’s contribution to the 35th Mostra della Ceramica in 1995. The monument has a radius of six metres. On each side, 31 decorated elements alternate with smooth ones; the arch is made of grèfired terracotta. Its dimensions and the contrast between the surfaces give the monument a distinctly articulated form.

La Stufa di Ugo Nespolo is also a ceramic monument. Ugo Nespolo designed the cladding panels, which Sandra Baruzzi and Guglielmo Marthyn produced with the support of students from the Istituto d’Arte Felice Faccio. They were fired in the kilns of La Castellamonte. The company produces ceramic stoves in traditional and design ranges and preserves old manufacturing techniques. The ceramic attractions therefore include both individual artworks and a tradition of production.

The Museo della Ceramica in Palazzo Botton grew out of the “Raccolta Civica di Terra Rossa” and opened to the public in 1993. Its modern section includes works from across Italy donated by artists taking part in the annual Mostra della Ceramica, as well as works by local artisans and creations by students from the Istituto d’Arte. The Casa Museo Famiglia Allaira offers a different focus: its collection comprises thousands of restored and catalogued domestic, architectural and figurative ceramic objects from Castellamonte. The tour described includes seven furnished rooms and a restoration workshop; it is led by family members and specialists in the field.

Churches and Architectural History

The Rotonda Antonelliana is the surviving part of Alessandro Antonelli’s ambitious, unrealised project for the parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo. In summer, it hosts Castellamonte’s Mostra della Ceramica. The parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo also features a life-size nativity scene made from Castellamonte red clay by sculptor Angelo Pusterla.

The Chiesa di San Rocco dates from 1769 and has a Baroque façade with terracotta elements. The appearance of the Chiesa parrocchiale Natività di Maria Santissima is defined by its Baroque façade and three ceramic panels by Alfeo Ciolli; the church acquired its current form in 1870. Records attest to its existence as early as 1329. Historically, it was also the destination of public processions and pilgrimages, particularly on Ascension Day and 8 September. These details reveal different layers of time: early records, a later architectural form and enduring religious traditions.

Putting Ceramic History and Landscape in Context

The former Pagliero factory houses three production lines dating from the 19th century and the 1930s and 1950s. They add a historical perspective to the insight into ceramic manufacturing. By contrast, the exhibition area of the Centro Ceramico Fornace Pagliero is open only during events listed in the calendar. Check the events calendar before planning your visit.

If you’d like to include the landscape as well as culture, the Riserva Naturale dei Monti Pelati offers a different focus. The nature reserve also extends into the municipality of Castellamonte. The nearly vegetation-free hills are composed mainly of peridotite; olivine and magnesite can also be found at the surface. The sparse vegetation gives the landscape an almost lunar appearance. By public transport, take the Torino–Aosta railway from Torino Porta Susa station to Ivrea, then continue on the GTT Ivrea–Castellamonte–Valchiusella bus route. Check current timetables when planning your journey.

When choosing a hotel, you can decide based on the focus of your stay: ceramic art and production, churches and their history, or the geological landscape of the Monti Pelati.

Discover more destinations: Torrazza Piemonte, None Turin, Montalto Dora, Garibaldi, Coazze, Caselette, Brosso, Cuceglio

For the overview of the wider area, see: Turin.