Maglione: Moraine Lake, M.A.C.A.M. and local history

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Maglione, you can start by choosing your location based on the subjects that interest you: the moraine landscape, M.A.C.A.M., or the history of the churches and town. These subjects offer different ways to explore the town, from understanding Lago di Maglione to discovering individual buildings and a traditional procession. This can help you decide before planning your trip whether landscape, art in public spaces or historic architectural styles should be your focus. Landscape, architecture and local customs complement one another as distinct areas of interest.

Landscape: the lake and the moraine amphitheatre

Lago di Maglione, also known as Lago Moccagatta, is a moraine lake. Maglione lies in the eastern part of a moraine amphitheatre. These two details describe the landscape at different scales: one identifies the lake, while the other describes the town’s location within the amphitheatre. This means that a named lake and Maglione’s position in the landscape offer two distinct points of reference for your stay.

M.A.C.A.M. and church architecture

M.A.C.A.M. was conceived in 1985 by film director Maurizio Corgnati and can be experienced while walking through the town’s streets. The streets provide the setting for encountering M.A.C.A.M.; the churches, by contrast, invite attention to their architectural forms, fittings and historical records. If you are deciding what interests you most, you can consider contemporary art and sacred architecture as two distinct cultural highlights.

The parish church of San Maurizio is documented as early as 1287 and is a Baroque building with four altars. The main altar and balustrade are made of marble. San Maurizio therefore combines an early historical record with specific features of its interior. San Rocco offers a different architectural focus: the church is built in a simplified Baroque style, with a single-nave layout. “Single-nave” describes a church space with one nave. Thus, San Maurizio stands out for its interior details, while San Rocco is notable for its layout.

The castle, the oldest part of town and festival dates

Only the square tower remains of Maglione Castle, which was destroyed in 1650. Today, it serves as the cemetery’s bell tower. Its story therefore spans its former role as part of the castle and its current function. The oldest part of Maglione is also home to patrician houses and the rectory’s loggias. These features add the architectural history of the oldest part of town to the story of the castle.

Maglione’s patron-saint festival includes the traditional procession of Matarille and halberds, held on the third Sunday in September. If you would like to include the procession in your travel plans, check the local programme for the relevant year. The Cappella di San Grato is scheduled to open during the Marian month of May, for the Peach Fair on the third Sunday in July, and for the feast of San Maurizio Martire on the third Sunday in September. An opening every year is not guaranteed; confirm the opening arrangements for the relevant year before your trip. This allows you to consider local customs and a possible visit to the chapel as two separate travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Verrua Savoia, Salassa, Baldissero Torinese, Pont Canavese, Fiano, Cavour, Borgofranco D'ivrea, Orbassano.

For the wider travel overview: Turin.