Pinerolo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pinerolo is a town and commune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the River Chisone.

Comune di Pinerolo
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Piedmont
Province	Turin (TO)
Mayor	Paolo Covato
Elevation	376 m
Area	50 km²
Population
- Total (as of December 31, 2004)	34,264
- Density	665/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	44°53′N, 07°20′E
Gentilic	Pinerolesi
Dialing code	0121
Postal code	10064
Frazioni	Abbadia Alpina, Baudenasca, Riva di Pinerolo, Talucco
Patron	San Donato
- Day	Monday after last Sunday of August
Location of Pinerolo in Italy
Website: www.comune.pinerolo.to.it

Contents 1 History 2 Main sights 3 Trivia 4 Twin cities 5 See also

[edit] History

In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance was the origin of the well-known military school that still exists today. The fortress of Fenestrelle is nearby.

The earliest mention of Pinerolo is in the tenth century, when it belonged to the Marca di Torino (March of Turin) and was governed by the abbot nullius of Pinerolo who ran the abbey of Abbadia Alpina , even after the city had established itself as a commune (1247) below the governement of Thomas Savoy.

From 1235, Amadeus IV of Savoy exercised over the town a kind of protectorate which became absolute in 1243, and was continued thereafter either by the house of Savoy, or of Savoy-Acaia.

When French troops invaded Piedmont (1536), Pinerolo was conquered and it remained under their control until 1574.

With the treaty of Cherasco it again fell to France (1630), and it remained under French rule until restored to the house of Savoy by the treaty of Turin, at the same time withdrawing from the league against Louis XIV.

[edit] Main sights

• the Cathedral dates from the 9th century, and has an attractive campanile
• church of San Maurizio, in Gothic style.

[edit] Trivia

• It hosted Curling events at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
• The "Man in the Iron Mask" was imprisoned in Pinerolo.
• The Montevideo football team Peñarol takes its name from this town.

[edit] Twin cities

• Gap, France, since 1963
• Traunstein, Germany, since 1986
• San Francisco, Argentina, since 1996
• Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 2005

[edit] See also

• Diocese of Pinerolo