Chiesanuova: Village History, Parish Church and Belice

When planning a trip to Chiesanuova, you can focus on several specific highlights: the village’s medieval history, the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena, and the natural setting of Località Belice. The hamlet of Piloni adds to the picture of religious heritage with its numerous votive shrines. This lets you decide in advance whether you are especially interested in architectural history, religious landmarks or the landscape.

Parish Church: Facade and Building History

The present-day form of the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena dates from 1838, and it was built on the site of an earlier church. Its neoclassical facade features Tuscan pilasters, three round-arched Canavese arches and a narthex. A narthex is an entrance vestibule in a church. The term helps identify this part of the church building, alongside the pilasters and arches.

A later artistic layer appears in the central ceiling fresco, painted by Weber d’Alagna in 1889. The dates refer to different aspects: 1838 to the church’s present form, and 1889 to the fresco. This chronological distinction helps place the building history and artistic decoration in separate contexts.

Village History and Piloni

Chiesanuova is a village of medieval origin and was a fief of the San Martino di Castelnuovo family, who adopted the title Chiesanuova from 1400 onward. The date refers to the adoption of the title, not to the medieval origins of the village. This makes it possible to understand the two historical details as different milestones.

There are numerous votive shrines in the hamlet of Piloni. They are a distinct highlight of the area’s religious history, alongside the building history of the parish church. From Cresto Superiore, Piloni can be reached by mule track or paved road. If you include Piloni in your travel plans, these are two different ways to get there: a path and a road.

Località Belice: Nature, Trail and Panoramic Views

The Area Attrezzata Località Belice is a natural area with beautiful scenery. It has a picnic area and a designated launch site for paragliders. These details point to different uses of the area: a place for a picnic and a launch site for paragliding. Big Bench No. 326 is also located in Località Belice.

The Belice per Tutti trail leads into the birch forests of Località Belice. This describes a specific trail with a named woodland destination, in addition to the area itself. Another perspective on the landscape is offered by the view from Chiesanuova: on clear days, it stretches as far as Turin and beyond. The panoramic view is therefore explicitly dependent on clear weather, while the birch forests are the destination of the Belice per Tutti trail.

Osteria Chiesanuova

The municipality lists Osteria Chiesanuova under the category of trattorias/osterias, at Via Cresto No. 1. As its operating status may change, check whether the osteria is open before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Pianezza, Brusasco, Piverone, San Giorio, Usseglio, Piamprato, San Secondo Di Pinerolo, Condove.

For the broader travel overview: Turin.