Borgo e Rocca Medievale

The Borgo Medievale was created on the occasion of the 1884 Italian Exposition with the intention of publicising the hitherto little-known medieval architectural and artistic heritage of the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta region. The design of this particular 'pavilion' was conceived by an exceptional group of Piedmontese intellectuals, technicians and artists who worked under the guidance of Alfredo D'Andrade, a Portuguese architect and archaeologist.
The Borgo is realised as a great scenographic work in which a variety of architectures, both civil and defensive, and royal buildings from the late Middle Ages in the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta area are modelled with extraordinary philological precision, reproduced with all their decorative and ornamental features.
This ideal route touches over 40 locations; some of the original models have disappeared
immediately after the construction of the Borgo.
The Rocca, which constitutes the museum part of the Borgo, is situated in a dominant position and is a faithful reproduction of a 15th-century stately fortified residence. Visiting its rooms takes one on an imaginary journey through life in the late Middle Ages.
On the ground floor are the men-at-arms' chamber, the dining room and the kitchens. On the first floor, the baronial chamber contains a large four-poster bed and the throne room. In the chapel, frescoes from the Abbey of St. Anthony of Ranverso are reproduced.
The visit concludes with a walk through the Medieval Garden. Set up in 1998, it includes the Garden of Delights with roses and primroses, the Garden of Simple Remedies, with herbs and plants used in medieval pharmacy, and the Vegetable and Fruit Tree Garden.
The village is the venue for temporary exhibitions, educational activities also dedicated to schools, events, conferences and cultural activities.