Pinerolo: Museums, Churches and Historic Squares

In Pinerolo, you can plan your itinerary around art collections, church art and the historic centre. Markets and cycling routes add to the cultural highlights. For planning, the various museums, squares and activities each offer a different focus—from regional art and the history of the Pinerolese to routes through the town and its surroundings.

Museums in Pinerolo: Art, Everyday Life and Natural History

Palazzo Vittone is home to the Pinacoteca Civica di Palazzo Vittone, the Museo Civico Etnografico del Pinerolese and the Museo Civico di Arte Preistorica. The Pinacoteca documents artistic production in the Pinerolese and Piedmont through paintings, sculptures and engravings. The Museo Civico Etnografico focuses on the traditional communities of the Pinerolese plains and valleys: its collection includes everyday objects, tools, scale models of buildings and other examples of both tangible and intangible culture. The objects date from the late 19th century to the 1950s.

The Museo d’Arte Preistorica – Museo Civico di Archeologia e Antropologia explores the physical and cultural development of humans in the Pinerolese from prehistoric times onward. Its themes and collections also include rock art, records relating to local archaeology, archives and an educational laboratory. Palazzo Vittone thus brings artistic, ethnographic and archaeological perspectives together.

The Museo Civico Didattico di Scienze Naturali „Mario Strani“ is currently temporarily closed for works. It is located in Villa Prever, an Art Nouveau building in a large park. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from an immersive hall and fluorescent minerals through displays on nocturnal animals, plains, hills, forests, fungi, aquatic habitats and mountains. It concludes with a video about the relationship between humans and the natural landscape.

Casa del Senato is also temporarily closed and not open to the public. Its permanent exhibition, „La necropoli della Doma Rossa e il territorio di Pinerolo in età romana“, includes reconstructed tombs and grave goods. The Museo Storico dell’Arma di Cavalleria is housed in the former Caserma Principe Amedeo. Its collection comprises more than 20,000 cavalry-related objects displayed in 42 rooms and 240 cases. The Museo Diocesano features removed 14th-century frescoes, drawings and sketches from the school of Enrico Reffo, as well as cartoons for murals by Michele Baretta. Other collections include paintings, sculptures, textiles, liturgical metalwork, sacred vessels and archival documents.

Churches, Frescoes and Routes Through the Old Town

The Basilica di San Maurizio stands on the hill above Pinerolo and preserves frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries. The bell tower is also associated with San Maurizio: a visit offers views across the Pinerolese plain, towards Rocca di Cavour, the Alps and Monviso, and as far as Turin. Check the tower’s current visiting arrangements before planning your visit.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Liberatrice was built at the beginning of the 17th century in honour of Maria Consolata. It received its name after the plague, commemorating the end of the epidemic, which was considered miraculous in Pinerolo. The chapel of Santa Lucia lies just outside the built-up area, surrounded by vineyards. Its 15th-century frescoes were painted by Bartolomeo Serra and his workshop.

A walking tour of the historic centre follows medieval lanes, passing palaces of power, monasteries and convents, before reaching the hill of San Maurizio. Check current dates and booking options before planning your visit. Another notable spot is Piazza del Duomo: historic arcades surround the square, which is also used as an event venue today.

Markets, Events and Activities

Pinerolo’s markets take place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. They include an area selling local fruit and vegetables. Characteristic venues offer another taste of the local cuisine, with regional flavours, pastries, ice cream and typical local desserts. If you’re looking for events alongside the town’s usual attractions, the Notte delle Muse is an annual event marking the end of the museum season, with performances, concerts and guided tours.

Pinerolo’s tourist information office provides information about museums and exhibitions, Royal Residences, castles, fortresses and abbeys, events, winter and summer sports, restaurants and historic cafés. Pinerolo is also a starting point for hiking, cycling and rock-climbing routes. For cyclists, the wider Pinerolese offers a broader regional network: more than 750 kilometres of cycle routes pass through plains, hills and mountain landscapes. This variety helps you plan your stay around your interests—whether art and local history, a visit to the market or outdoor activities in the region.

Discover more destinations: Villar Perosa, Roure, Chiesanuova, Roletto, Arborea, Sant'antonino Di Susa, Foglizzo, La Loggia

For the full travel overview: Turin.