Scarmagno: Moraine Landscape, Churches and Panoramic Views

Scarmagno Between Moraine Landscape and History

Scarmagno lies on the first level of the Dora’s right moraine, opposite Strambino. This distinctive landscape setting connects the town with the Canavese and provides a fitting backdrop for days when you would like to combine architecture, history and panoramic views.

Churches, Campanile and Sundials

An important phase in the construction of the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Michele Arcangelo began on 15 August 1815: on that day, the foundation stone of the present parish church was laid and blessed. The church therefore represents a clearly dated part of the town’s history that fits well into a walking tour of Scarmagno.

The 32-metre-high campanile of the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Michele Arcangelo offers panoramic views across the Canavese. From there, the view extends along the Serra moraine ridge from Cavaglià to Andrate, towards Mombarone, the entrance to the Aosta Valley and the Cavallaria. This creates a landscape scene in which geological formations and mountain silhouettes are closely interconnected.

Three large sundials with French-style hour numbering were restored on the east, south and west façades of the campanile. They were probably originally made together with the campanile around 1860 to 1870 to set the mechanical clock regularly. The restored dials thus complement the sacred architecture with an illustrative piece of historic timekeeping.

The local history also includes the Santa Marta confraternity, which was canonically established in 1582. The small bell tower of the Cappella della Natività di Maria Vergine was built by the priors in 1909. These two construction and institutional dates provide different chronological points of reference for the cultural tour.

Romanesque Traces and Nearby Destinations

The Chiesa di Sant'Eusebio is a fairly well-preserved Romanesque church built before the year 1000. An old fresco can be found on the inside of its southern wall. The combination of early church architecture and surviving pictorial heritage makes this place particularly interesting for visitors who want to discover historic religious architecture not only through major monuments, but also through smaller examples.

Castello Benso is located in the immediate vicinity of Scarmagno. The surrounding area also includes the Museo Della Carale Accattino, Castello di Banchette and the Spazio Pitetti - ArteinFuga museum. These destinations extend the cultural radius beyond Scarmagno’s churches, without requiring you to limit your stay to a single area of interest.

Landscape in the Wider Regional Area

If you would like to complement your stay with scenic destinations, the Cascata di Fondo waterfall in Valchiusella, Cima Bonze, Cima Battaglia and Bec Renon are located in the wider regional area around Scarmagno. These four destinations represent different forms of Alpine and pre-Alpine landscape: waterfalls, peaks and mountain ridges can thus be considered distinct regional highlights, without attributing them to the municipal area of Scarmagno.

The road conditions are also relevant when planning an individual tour: the route runs entirely on paved roads. The area around the motorway junction of the Turin–Aosta motorway (A5) belongs to the municipality of Scarmagno.

More Places for Your Travel Plans

If you would like to discover other places in the same destination area in addition to Scarmagno, you can also visit San Giusto Canavese, Chiesanuova, Chiaverano, Borgone Susa, Bussoleno, Didiero, Moncalieri and Robassomero.

For the higher-level travel overview: Turin.