Abbazia di Staffarda

Founded by Cistercian monks in 1135, the Abbey soon became the centre of religious life in the Marquisate of Saluzzo and at the same time a flourishing productive agricultural centre. The Abbey sees its architecture revolve around principles of simplicity, austerity, use of natural materials such as stone and brick, and rich religious symbolism. The only exception is the majestic 1531 altarpiece attributed to Pascale Oddone, in polychrome carved wood and painted with gilded finishes dedicated to the Virgin. Evidence of the austere life of the Cistercian monks remains in the church, the refectory, the chapter house, the workshop, the covered market, the guest quarters and the splendid cloister surrounded by tranquillity.