The Village of Pollenzo

Pollenzo, the recently restored village whose name derives from Pollentia (Roman times), is home to the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Piedmont, a majestic church and a beautiful Tower, as well as a restaurant and hotel linked to the university. The village is famous in the area, a destination for outings and for both food and cultural tourism. Here there are some Roman remains of an ancient amphitheatre, theatre and a city forum; the citadel founded in medieval times still has its surrounding walls and a large square with a fountain, surrounded by arcades for public and commercial purposes. You enter here through a large arched masonry gate in red with stuccoes and engravings dating back to the Savoy period. In the university area is the wine bank and an arcade used for fairs and conventions on gastronomic themes. At present there's a photographic exhibition.

The university and the hotel have been placed inside a sort of old and unusual little castle with cylindrical towers, restored. Some information signs tell the whole history of the village with related photographs and plans of the old village; entry is free, there are no guided tours. Inside the village flea markets and small fairs are sometimes set up. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Address: Str.Provinciale 7 Pollenzo Bra CN

The church of San Vittore, Gothic/Romanesque, stands in the village of Pollentia (Pollenzo), municipality of Bra (CN). It was built with the aim of satisfying the Romanesque ideals of Carlo Alberto of Savoy; worth admiring is the bell tower in northern Gothic style. Construction began in 1843, while the interior frescoes and stuccoes were entrusted to a collaborator of the famous Palagi. The church can be visited freely, open every day, and is used for services. Rich in statues and frescoes, paintings and stuccoes, it's a destination for many tourists. The interior is detailed by tall windows with yellow glass that instil a very particular light inside. Address: at the village of Pollenzo Pollenzo Bra CN

Usually Gothic and northern churches fill me with fear, reverence and sadness...... this one, although very northern, isn't so sad after all, both because it's restored and well kept, with that brick-red colour, and because the interior is very unusual and frescoed. We're in the village of Pollenzo, at the gates of the Piedmontese Langa, and the village is entirely renewed on a red base. The church is very beautiful; inside, sunlight enters through yellow glass that instils a particular colour that makes everything brighter and more unique. Inside you can't take photographs using flash, so they come out a bit blurry, especially with a digital camera, but it's too unique not to photograph. Stuccoes, frescoes, the very rich ceiling and the altar full of roses. It isn't very spacious but it's very pretty; the light makes this interior both a sacred and a particular place.

Statues are placed on the ceiling and others in small niches. The images of Mother Teresa and Padre Pio are kept at the foot of a statue of a saint; excellently preserved inside too, it is without doubt worth a visit. The whole village is worth seeing for its beauty and uniqueness; in the central square of the village there's a lovely fountain and beside the church there's an arch with engravings dedicated to Carlo Alberto. The arch was one of the entrances to the village, and all this monochromatic uniqueness of the buildings makes it spectacular. Pollenzo isn't far from the city of Bra (CN); you get there easily and park outside the village; inside there are no shops, but there is the faculty of the gastronomic university.... a singular faculty and a singular location.