Ecomuseo Antonio Bertola – Ingegnere Militare

Antonio Bertola (1647-1719), lawyer and military engineer, is a central figure in the history of Baroque Piedmont. Born in Muzzano, he graduated in law but soon devoted himself to the study of mathematics and engineering. Although his works do not directly concern his home town, they are deeply embedded in the urban, architectural and military development of Piedmont and, in particular, the city of Turin.

In Turin, he began his career as architect of the Santissimo Sudario, building the central altar of the chapel in the Duomo, where the sacred shroud was placed in 1694. He then collaborated on the enlargement of the city towards the north-west, worked on the altar of the Church of San Filippo Neri, the Basilica of Superga and tested the Church of Santa Croce (today the Basilica Mauriziana).

In the field of fortifications, he was active in Ivrea, Rivoli, Demonte, Fenestrelle and at Brunetta. He reached the peak of his fame during the French siege of 1706, when he was put in charge of the defence of the citadel of Turin. Two years later, he was appointed the first civil and military architect of the Duchy, an unprecedented title. He collaborated with important figures such as Francesco Gallo and Filippo Juvarra, and his legacy was picked up by his adopted son Ignazio Bertola.

His work is part of the cultural and spiritual context of the 17th century, marked by the Counter-Reformation and the birth of the Sacred Mounts and confraternities. A cell of the Elvo Valley Ecomuseum is dedicated to him, which tells his story and enhances it in dialogue with:

• the history of Piedmont
• the Confraternity of the Rosary and the parish church of Muzzano
• the Sanctuary of Graglia
• the paths towards Bagneri and the Mountain Civilisation cell.