The first town came into being in 1228: it was founded by the people of Testona, today a frazione of the comune, fleeing an assault from Chieri, and they took to the hill above the Po. From that hill the castle of Moncalieri still watches over the southern gate of Turin, and it is one of the Savoy Residences on the UNESCO list: here Victor Emmanuel II signed the famous Proclamation of 1849, and here Princess Maria Letizia held court. The royal apartments can be visited; the old town below, with Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and its arcaded streets, keeps the air of a small capital.
It is the most populous comune in Turin's ring, and the built-up area is cut by the forty-fifth parallel, the line exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. On the turret of the Real Collegio Carlo Alberto stands the weather observatory founded in 1859 by Father Francesco Denza: it has measured without a break ever since, and in the nineties Luca Mercalli put it back on its feet. Moncalieri is also a town of codified flavours: its tripe, «la tripa ’d Moncalè», is a one-off cured meat listed among traditional products. The Po hills, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, begin in its parks.
Castello della Rotta · Castello di Moncalieri and 1 more
Compare hotels, B&Bs and holiday homes on Booking.com for your dates.
Next up: Blessed Bernard of Baden, the German prince who died of plague in Moncalieri in 1458, Thursday 15 July
Nearest airport: Torino Caselle, 22 km away
No events match these filters.
📅 Every year, on 15 July
Moncalieri celebrates Blessed Bernard of Baden on 15 July; the German prince died here of plague in 1458, while travelling to Germany, and following some miracles was beatified and proclaimed patron of the town, whose remains it still holds today.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Moncalieri, but an easy day trip away.
