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The Castle of Fossano, symbol of the city, stands behind Via Roma and is now surrounded by a large square. Built in 1332 by the Acaja family for defense, it later became a residence under the House of Savoy around 1485. Over time, it evolved from a fortress with four towers and a moat to a noble palace.
Its courtyard shows layers of history: a 15th-century portico with Savoy symbols, remnants of frescoes, and a wing once used by the Duke. By the late 1600s, the castle was used as a prison, notably for Waldensians. The basements, kept cool by an ice house, were used for food storage and connected directly to the kitchens.
The Hall of Grotesques, painted by Flemish artist Giovanni Caracca in the late 1500s, features classical mythological figures, mottos, birds, and the ducal coats of arms. The towers and walkways, once wooden, are now stone and offer panoramic views of the city and Alps.
Since the 1980s, the castle hosts Fossano’s civic library and archive, preserving documents from the 13th century, including the “Green Book” and royal edicts. It also houses the Mario Vallauri collection, over 4,000 rare books on languages, medicine, and travel, accessible to scholars.
Today, the castle is a cultural landmark and hosts major events, including the historical “Giostra dell’Oca,” commemorating the 1585 visit of Charles Emmanuel I and Infanta Catherine Michelle.
References:The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.
The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.