To Turin

Back through the Appenines only this time via the motorway, including the famous bridge that collapsed (and was replaced in two years)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Ponte_Morandi_collapse

And, not only did it rain all the way, but we had snow!

Cherasco

This is a village on a hill around 50km from Turin. It is now full of weekend houses but back in the day it had enough of a population to support 10 churches. We visited some of them followed by lunch.

San Pietro. 13C exterior enlivened by bits of the previous, Byzantine style church, a Roman sarcophagus and bits of ruins. However inside…….
It is full gloomy 19C Catholicism.
Mediaeval town hall with clock.
Street with arch at the bottom celebrating the escape from the plague.
Sanctuaria Nostra Signoria del Popolo (outside)
And inside.
With a memento mori.
For those of you who liked the food pictures, this is Vitello del tonnato
And these are snails…..
And this, from dinner, is salsiccia di Bra – raw veal and pork sausage from very carefully raised animals.

Following a long and alcoholic lunch, we went off to the Palazzina di Caccia at Stupigini. This was the hunting box of the Dukes (later Kings) of Savoy and built in the best 18C French style.

Palazzina means ‘little palace’
It still has its stables
The ballroom
Trompe l’oeil statuary
A small flavour of the decorating style
Hand painted 18C Chinese wallpaper
Classical references
A bathroom – the thing on the left is a vast stone tub.

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