Tom`s travels: Via Francigena in Valle di Susa (30/06-05/07/2023)

For our annual hiking trip, my brother and I decided to head west and follow the Via Francigena variant, connecting the Monginevro pass to Turin. This is a short variant and eventually connects to the main way in Vercelli. To make it longer and more exciting we decided to start on the French side, in the city of Briançon, and from there hike up to the mountain pass and descend down into Italy following then the way towards Turin. In order to get there we had some options, either by train or by bus which involved a few changes and quite some time on the road. Instead, we managed to convince our dad to come take us by car and come with us the night before our start. After spending the night in Alessandria, we left on a Friday afternoon and reached the French city in just about 2h30. Once there we reached the accommodation I had booked and then headed into the old town for dinner. We opted for a place called Le Gavroche, where my dad took a steak with fries and salad, while my brother and I shared a fondue vigneronne, a type of mountain fondue that has white wine instead of cheese boiling. We had some meat pieces to cook inside as well as fries and a side salad. After dinner, we had a stroll around town but decided to visit it again in the morning as it was rather chilly and late, and we would either way start our hike from there.

The following day, after an early rise, we headed back to the city center. We first stopped at a supermarket to buy some food for breakfast and later lunch, and then ate breakfast with our dad in a sunny spot, as the air was still rather chilly, being the town at more than 1,300 meters above sea level. and at that the highest city in France. After thanking and saying goodbye to our dad we then saw him drive back home while we headed to explore town. We entered the town through the Porte d'Embrun, part of the defensive fortification encircling the town. In fact, despite featuring a mostly medieval core, Briançon was fortified with at the time modern defensive systems including a wall and several forts scattered around the surrounding valley and mountains by the renowned military architect Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban during the reign of King Louis XIV around the early 18th century. Alongside other sites in France, they were inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage list. Once inside we noticed people dressed up in historical medieval costumes as there seemed to be a medieval fair taking place in the city that weekend. As we headed into town we walked along the main street, heading uphill and sided by picturesque tall and slim colorful houses. We first passed a nice 18th-century fountain, Fontaine Persens, and then reached a small pretty square, Place d'Armes. Continuing upwards we reached the main church, the Collegiale Notre-Dame et Saint Nicolas, a beautiful baroque church from the early 1700s with frontal twin towers. As we continued our visit, we reached the city ramparts on the highest point in town from where we had a beautiful view of the surroundings. The verdant valleys and the snow-capped peaks of the Alps all around. At that point, it was time for us to leave the town and head on to start the hike. We exited the fortifications to the east, crossing over the Pont d'Asfeld an impressive bridge built by Vauban to pass over the deep narrow gorge of the Durance river. Once on the other side, we climbed up to reach one of the fortifications surrounding the city, the large Fort des Têtes. From there we had a clear and great view of the city of Briançon below and the surrounding landscape. Following a trail, we walked through a nice pine, spruce, and larch forest typical of those heights and then came upon another of those forts, the Fort Dauphin. As we continued our walk we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and sunny day which became warmer as we went. After a few kilometers of walking through the forest along the Durance River, we eventually reached the town of Montgenèvre located at 1860m above sea level. It stands on the Col de Montgenèvre, a famous mountain pass used since ancient Roman times, and considered as a possible route for Hannibal's famous passage through the Alps. Once the pass was also the border between Italy and France, however, after the peace treaty of 1947 the border was moved a few hundred meters eastwards. As we approached the town, which in winter is a popular and famous skiing resort, we passed by the small church of St Maurice with its nice medieval bell tower. Nearby we found a bench and decided to eat the lunch we had brought with us, Once we were done it was time to move on, officially joining the Via Francigena which starts precisely on that mountain pass. After a short descent, we eventually crossed the border leaving France behind us and entering the Italian town of Claviere. Here we got our first stamp on the pilgrim stamp at the tourist office telling the ladies working there of our walk to Turin. They waved us goodbye and wished us good luck as we left town and reached the Tibetan Bridge. This suspended bridge spans 489m over the San Gervaio Gorges and is a popular attraction. We didn't have the time to walk on it but instead decided to take the scenic trail that meandered its way below the bridge and through the gorges. The way wasn't easy as part of the wooden walkways had fallen and we had to partly walk over slippery rocks trying not to fall into the stream. Finally, after that nice hike through the gorge, we came out of it in the forest. A short walk through the latter eventually led us down to the town of Cesana where we would spend the night. We quickly walked through its town center, located at 1354m above sea level, intending to come back later. We then walked a little further and eventually reached the Casa Pier Giorgio Frassati where we were able to get a bed, dinner, and breakfast for only 25 euros. The owners were very friendly and showed us to our rooms, nice, clean and calm. In fact, right below us was a large group of kids on a summer camp but luckily we could barely hear their screams and laughter during the night. After a nice shower and a change of clothes, we then headed back to town to explore a little. We walked through the pretty main street lined with old houses decorated with colorful flowers. Then we also tried visiting the church of San Giovanni Battista but found it closed so after a final stroll around headed back to our accommodation. For dinner, we had saffron risotto as the first course, meat, mashed potatoes, and peas as the second course, and wine and water, and could get a refill of everything whenever we asked for it.

The following morning after an early rise we pleasantly saw the sun was out again and the early day fresh air enticing us to start the walk. A herd of sheep passed right in front of the building and we filled up to a hearty breakfast. The kind owners then even gave us some snacks, fruit, and sandwiches to take with us for the day. After thanking them infinitely we started our walk heading back down into town. Once there we managed to find the tourist office where we stamped our pilgrim passport and then walked through the old town once again. We visited the church of San Giovanni, in the higher part of town, with still the apse and the bell tower dating to its 12th-century Romanesque period. It also featured a 16th-century Renaissance portal and a nice 17th-century wooden ceiling. From there we followed the trail leaving town and heading slightly uphill through a forest. After a short time we reached the next village, Mollieres with typical stone houses, where we stopped briefly for water and to enjoy the view of the mountains. Just to the west was the imposing figure of the Chaberton Mountain with the Chaberton Battery, a fortification erected by the Italian army at the end of the 19th century but annexed to France after WWII. Located at 3130 m above sea level, it is still the highest fort in Europe From Mollieres a short way through the forest brought us through another village, Solomiac, which featured the Casa Cossul, a large, four-story 17th-century building with a beautiful frescoed facade. After the nice break, we continued on, and following harder paths through the forest and sections of tall grass we eventually reached the town of Oulx. We first passed by the church of Santa Maria Assunta, dating to the 15th century but with later additions, and located on the upper part of the old town. The church was closed so we descended down the main way, sided by nice old buildings and with a view of the mountains around the valley. Halfway down the street we took a narrow side street and came upon the Torre Delfinale, a 14th-century medieval tower used more as a residence than an actual defensive tower. Here were three volunteers who kept the tower open and were having lunch on a table set in the shade formed by the tower. We set next to them on a bench and had ourselves the lunch we had brought from our accommodation. After eating we briefly visited the interior of the tower which presented a very interesting video on the Waldensians who once lived in the area and were persecuted and driven out to a nearby valley in the mountains. Following the relaxing break, we continued on through town finding the tourist office where we managed to get the stamp for our pilgrim passport. The lady working there was nice to us and asked us for a photo to post on their social channels. Once outside town, we followed the main trafficked road for a little while until a path then led us through the nice hamlet of Gad with its typical stone architecture. Continuing onwards we then started heading uphill past the Lake of Orfù with its beautiful and crystal clear blue waters though its small beach on the other side looked already packed with people. We were entering the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand, a large natural park consisting of an extensive forest up the mountainside that featured a well-preserved flora of larch, pine, and a mix of silver spruce and Norway spruces rarely found in the western Alps. The path continued through this beautiful section of forest, with tall trees, lush grass, and a peaceful setting. Once out of the forest following a steep descent we crossed over the Dora Riparia River to reach the town of Salbertrand. We walked through the nice old town admiring the old architecture, including the many 15th-century sone fountains, the Hotel Dieu with a frescoed facade, once used as a hostel for pilgrims on the Via Francigena, and the late gothic 16th-century church of San Giovanni Battista. The latter was supposed to have some nice frescoes inside but once there we found it close so we could only admire the still beautiful traces of medieval frescoes on the outside and its partly Romanesque bell tower. After the visit to the town, we crossed over the river once again and headed uphill again through the Salberrand Natural Park. Following an initial ascent, we came upon a herd of sheep on our path, and soon after the shepherd dogs came barking at us forcing us to step backward. Luckily the shepherd came by and called his dogs back letting us pass through unharmed. Moving onwards we walked by the structure of the Sapé Fort, deep in the forest and mostly covered in overgrown plants and trees. It was built at the end of the 19th century but was never actually used and rather functioned as a storage site instead. Leaving the fort behind we then took the path leading downhill, following a series of hairpin turns, that eventually brought us back down to the river. Here we crossed again and after a few hundred meters finally reached the town of Exilles, where we would spend the night. We checked in the accommodation, the B&B Gabriella, one of the most expensive, as it was the only option in the area but very nice. The owner was a kind and helpful lady and gave us all we needed and sat to talk to us for a while. For dinner, we went to eat at La Quadriglia, the only restaurant in town, where I had polenta with cheese as the appetizer and agnolotti as the first course.

The following day we had a nice filling breakfast at the B&B and finally met the first pilgrims, an older couple from Australia heading in the opposite direction, towards France. Her husband was on foot while she was on a bicycle and they would eventually always meet at the sleeping place later in the day. We waved goodbye and headed into town to visit. We walked through the pretty streets with a mix of stone and pastel-colored houses and tried visiting the church of S Pietro with its beautiful late Romanesque bell tower and Gothic portal but unfortunately found it closed. At that point, it was time to leave the town: we took the path leading out of the center which shortly after took us right below the Fort which is considered the main monument and one of the main tourist attractions in the valley. Along with the Fenestrelle and Vinadio fortress, it is one of the most important defensive systems in Piedmont. Originally dating to the 14th century, due to its location in the middle of a bottleneck in the upper Susa Valley which made it a threat both to armies coming down from the upper valley and to those coming up from the valley floor. it was heavily fortified and expanded in the following centuries. Its apex was reached during the 17th century when it served as a bulwark of defense by the French first and Savou after. After the partial demolition wanted by Napoleon after his invasion, the fort was reconstructed at the beginning of the 19th century in its current form. Once we reached the fort we found the main gate open so we headed inside. The way up was winding, made to slow down and confuse the attackers had they managed to get in. Eventually, after reaching the upper main courtyard we found several people and props for what seemed like a movie shooting. In fact, all around were flags with nazi symbols, WWII machine guns and armored vehicles, and people dressed up. We quickly left and stopped at one of the ramparts to admire the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. Once back out of the fort we descended from the other side and found in fact that the fort was temporarily closed due to shooting for a TV series. We then started walking upwards following a path heading up the side of the mountain on the northern face of the valley. In fact, the original pilgrimage way was supposed to stay on the lower part of the valley but for many years, because of the planned high-speed rail that is supposed to be built on site, the road has been closed as there have been many clashes between the police and demonstrators. So instead I found an alternative way on higher ground which would enable us to keep from walking on the trafficked road without losing too much time and adding unnecessary kilometers. We passed through a series of small hamlets, Rif, Morliere, and Ruinas, collectively unified in a village called Cels, and featuring beautiful stone architecture with grey slate roofs. From there we had a beautiful view of the valley, the fort of Exilles and its town, and the still partly snow-capped peaks in the distance. Continuing on we came upon another group of hamlets, Ramats, whose last locality, Sant'Antonio also had a beautiful high-altitude lavender field. From that point, the path led us through a nice peaceful forest, much different from the one of the previous day, as this was most of the time in the sun, and at a lower altitude it featured a more Mediterranean and warmer type of flora. Descending just slightly we then had to cross a glacial stream and on the other side continued uphill until we finally reached the sparse town of Giaglione, right above the town of Susa where we would be spending the night. However, our plan was to continue northwards and come later back to Susa. This was because we intended to visit the famous Novalesa Abbey, located on the road coming down from the Moncenisio pass, another popular variant for pilgrims on the Via Francgiena. Once in Giaglione, we found an open bakery where we bought some ham and cheese to put in bread and eat for lunch. After the lunch break, we got back on our feet and continued walking. After a descent we walked through the town of Venaus and right after it had to face a quite tough steep climb through a forest and rocky terrain. As we were lower in altitude and with a strong sun beating we started feeling quite warm but continued nonetheless. After some time we finally reached the Novalesa Abbey, founded in the 8th century and still an active complex managed by the Benedictines. The complex is divided into the abbey church and the monastic building proper. The church, which was open to visit freely, was rebuilt in the 18th century over the previous Romanesque one. The rest of the complex though cannot be accessed freely and only be visited through guided tours, and features a 16th-century cloister and the older Romanesque surviving parts. It also includes a park around the complex with many chapels from the early middle ages many of which with well-preserved frescoes inside. Before leaving we tried ringing at the monastery and one of the monks came to open us. We asked if we could have the stamps for the pilgrim passport to which he agreed and let us inside for a drink of water while he went to get the stamp. In fact, the monastery is a popular stop for many pilgrims coming from France, as the Moncenisio pass nearby is one of the variants of the pilgrimage way on the way to Turin. After thanking him kindly we left the premises and following a short walk reached the nearby town of Novalesa. The town is set at the end of a valley, the Cenischia valley, right below the Moncenisio pass and surrounded by an amphitheater of mountains. Its stark grey rock architecture contrasts with the surrounding greenery. As we walked along the main street we stopped on the way to see the church of Santo Stefano, with some fine paintings inside. Moving onwards we passed an old building known as the Hotel Impero, where Napoleon is supposed to have been hosted while marching through. Impressive was the wooden staircase which we could spot inside the main entryway. A little further another important building was the Casa degli Affreschi, an old inn with 14th and 15th century well-preserved frescoes decorating its facade. Once we reached the end of town, we turned around and walked the same way down the main street. Right outside Novalesa, we then turned around briefly to admire the beautiful panorama of the looming mountains and the many impressive waterfalls cascading down the rock faces. At that point a long walk awaited us, taking us along the bank of the Cenischia River and eventually leading us to the city of Susa. As we approached the city center we came in sight of the Cathedral with next to it the impressive Porta Savoia, one of the main city gates and a fine example of ancient Roman military architecture as it dates between the 3rd and 4th centuries. We first entered the Cathedral, once a Benedictine monastery founded in the 11th century and later turned into a cathedral during the 17th century. Its architecture changed throughout the centuries and of its Romanesque past only the exterior and the impressive thick and tall bell tower with six levels of mullioned windows, survive. The interior, in fact, heavily refurbished, presents now a rather uneventful neo-romanesque style. Once out of the church we then walked past the ancient Roman gate and headed to the nearby Arch of Augustus, probably the best-known and most beautiful monument in town. This triumphal arch was built between 8 and 9 B.C., and curiously, unlike other arches in Italy and other territories once ruled by the Romans, this was not marked as a symbol of conquest. In fact, it was built at the behest of King Marcus Julius Cottius, a Celto-Ligurian ruler, in honor of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus to celebrate the renewed alliance between the local populace and Rome. Right next to the arch was the Castle of the Marquise Adelaide, a medieval residence from the 11th century built on top of ancient Roman ruins. The castle, with its museum, was closed so we continued onwards passing more Roman ruins, including the 4th-century aqueduct. Continuing forward we passed by the Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie, a small 18th-century baroque church, set away from most buildings. Right close by was the ancient Roman amphitheater, built in the second century and only discovered in the 1960s. We walked through it and then decided it was time to check in as we had planned to see the rest of the town by night and the following morning. On the way we also passed by the church of San Francesco, dating to the 13th century in a Romanesque style but with a gothic facade it was unfortunately closed. After reaching our accommodation, the B&B Al Ratin, we showered, changed clothes, and then went out to look for a place to eat. We opted for a place called Cantine Meana, where for just 14 euros, we could take an appetizer, first course, second course, dessert, and wine. The appetizer was cold cuts and cheese, then as first course I had agnolotti, and as second a chicken breast with cheese melt, and for dessert the bunet a typical local chocolate pudding.

The next morning, after an early rise we left the accommodation and started our morning visit of the town by walking to the 11th-century church of San Saturnino, just south of the old town. The church was closed, but nearby we then reached a vantage point from where we had an amazing view of the city center and the surrounding mountains. With the morning light, it looked really mesmerizing. Once back into town we walked through the Roman arch and passed by the Pieve of Santa Maria Maggiore, a 10th-century Romanesque church now turned mostly into private houses and with just its slim bell tower testifying to its history. Moving on we walked through the city gate passing by the nice bell tower of the cathedral and then walking through the pretty streets of the old town. We reached the elongated and narrow main square, which looks more like a street, sided by nice arched passageways and old buildings, including the 18th-century town hall. At that point, we had walked the entire city center and it was time to head out and start our hike for the day. We exited town after crossing over the Doria Riparia river and headed eastwards along the large Susa valley. Behind us, often turning around, we could spot the snow-capped peaks of the mountains forming a natural barrier to France. After a few kilometers and hours of walking through some minor sparse hamlets, such as San Giuliano and Foresto, we reached the town of Bussoleno. To enter its old town we had to cross the river once again and then walk through the pretty main street sided by old buildings including Casa Aschieris, a typical 14th-century medieval brick porticoed house. A little further ahead we then visited the main church in town, Santa Maria Assunta; an 18th-century baroque building with still the beautiful 11th-century bell tower from the previous church. Not far from the church, we decided to have a quick stop at a bakery where we got some pizza slices and focaccia to eat and power up. Leaving Bussoleno behind us we walked along a road until we reached the next town, San Giorio di Susa. Once there I got a couple of things from the minimarket and sat on the shade of the town hall to eat mozzarella with tomatoes and bell pepper. After the break, we then followed a road leading to the hill overlooking the old town. We passed by the church of San Giorgio with its surviving Romanesque bell tower, and right behind it a 13th-century fortified house, before reaching the castle, a 13th-century fortified complex now mostly in ruins and with only a main building and some part of the walls remaining. After walking around the castle, which now holds a restaurant, we headed back into town and continued our walk eastwards until we reached the next town, Villar Focchiardo. Here my brother stopped at a small grocer to get some food and so we took another well-deserved break. The temperature was much warmer than in the previous days in the mountains, and the lower altitude also made it more humid. As we made our way onwards we walked through nice countryside until we reached yet another town, Sant'Antonino di Susa. Here we had a look at the main church, with its unsurprising neoclassical interior but with a beautiful 29m high Romanesque bell tower. Once outside we followed the main street and left town, heading back into the countryside. We could now make out the main monument of the valley, the symbol of Piemonte, and a target we were trying to reach, the Sacra di San Michele. It was still distant and on top of a small mountain so that meant many more hours to reach it plus an endless climb up. But first, we walked through the hamlet of Vaie with its pretty small old town with typical houses, and then after some more countryside the town of Chiusa di San Michele. Once there we briefly stopped at the church San Pietro to admire its neoclassical facade, scenically set at the end of a large staircase on the edge of the main square. It was here that we then took the trail that brought us up the mountain through a nice forest and eventually to the Sacra di San Michele. Located at the top of the Pirchiriano Mount at 960m above sea level, this monumental abbey was built during the 10th century as one of the core sites of the cult of Saint Michael the Archangel. In the following centuries, the abbey was enlarged and several sections were added and built resulting in a mostly Romanesque complex with some Gothic influences as well. At the end of the 14th century, the abbey fell into decline, until in 1836 the Rosminians came to the place, restored it, and have stayed ever since. As we approached the complex we first passed by the Monks' Sepulcher a 10th-century church that survived until the 17th century before falling into the ruins that can be seen today. A little further we then took the staircase that led to the ticket office where we got our ticket, audioguide, and pilgrim stamp. Once inside more staircases led us inside the Abbey proper, by walking first up the so-called stairway of the dead flanked by arches, niches, and tombs in which, until 1936, skeletons of dead monks were visible. At the end of the staircase, we passed through the beautiful zodiac portal from 1130 with decorated capitals. Here were the flying buttresses of the church, added in 1937, and then the Romanesque portal in gray and green stone leading into the church. The church has a nave and two aisles featuring elements of both Gothic and Romanesque architecture and several early 16th century frescoes such as that one depicting the Annunciation from 1505. Below the church was the crypt which was not accessible but through a window we could still see part of it. A door then led out to a terrace from where we could enjoy a beautiful view over the Susa Valley, the surrounding mountains, and the town of Chiusa di San Michele below. Unfortunately, clouds had started forming throughout the day and the visibility was not as good as the previous days yet it was still an incredible sight. Finally, on the northern side, we reached the ruins of the new monastery, erected between the 12th and 14th centuries and left to its demise throughout the following centuries. Among the ruins was the Torre della Bell'Alda, which draws its name from the eponymous protagonist of the legend. A village maiden named Alda seeks divine intervention at the Sacra to protect her village from the ravages of war but is chased by soldiers. She attempts to escape their assault, but having no other way out she throws herself into the ravine invoking the help of St. Michael and the Virgin and miraculously survives. She becomes vain and greedy, believing she can repeat the feat for fame and riches, only to meet a tragic death during her second attempt. Once we had completed the tour of the amazing abbey we headed out and onwards to finish our day as we still had a few kilometers left. We descended the mountain from the eastern side, passing through the small village of San Pietro and reaching the valley floor at the town of Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, just below the abbey. Here we first passed by the 12th-century abbey palace now partly in ruins, and then reached the main church in town San Giovanni Vincenzo in a baroque style and with a thick and 37m tall Romanesque bell tower. As soon as we exited the church it started raining and we hoped to find the local priest. Luckily we found him inside the parish building right next door and asked him for the pilgrim stamp. He remembered I asked him for a place to sleep but had told us that unfortunately the beds had been given to some Ukrainian refugees. We told him not to worry and that we had found a place in the next town. However, he told us to follow him and brought us to a nearby pizzeria where he offered us a pizza each. We told him that was not necessary and wished to pay it ourselves however he insisted and told us we could use the parish building to eat it as it was still raining. Once we were done we left town and hiked the last few kilometers to reach the city of Avigliana where we would spend the night. We entered the town by passing through one of its surviving city gates Porta di Santa Maira and then by some nice buildings and houses such as the medieval Casa di Porta Ferrata and Casa Cantamerlo. Eventually, we reached our accommodation, a tiny apartment inside what was once a dovecot, a tower where messenger pigeons were kept. The place was really small, with a tiny bathroom and the room basically consisting of just an elevated bed. But it was nice, central, and decent-priced.

The next day we woke up early again and decided to visit the rest of the town. We first reached the main square where we grabbed some pastries for breakfast at one of the bars that was just opening. We then decided to head to the nearby hill overlooking the town on top of which stands the castle. This 10th-century castle used to cover the whole hilltop but was destroyed several times and centuries later turning into its current state of ruin. From the top though we could admire a beautiful panorama with the Sacra of San Michele atop its mount as if guarding the Susa valley, and to the south the two lakes of Avigliana, the Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo. From the castle, we headed back into town and stopped to visit the church of San Giovanni. The church featured a nice baroque and neoclassical interior with some traces of medieval frescoes and 16th and 17th-century paintings as well, including of the famous Defendente Ferrari. On the outside, it also featured a nice 14th-century Gothic bell tower. At that point it was time to move on so we left the old town, passing through the suburbs and walking eastwards as the sun decided to come out. Unfortunately, that meant hotter temperatures, but for the morning at least it was still bearable. After a few kilometers we then reached an important medieval monument, the Sant'Antonio di Ranverso Abbey. Founded in 1188 it was then expanded and refurbished in the 15th century in its current gothic style and included a hospital, of which only the façade remains, the preceptor, and the church. We headed to the entrance and got our ticket, talking with the lady at the desk about the Susa Valley, its history and culture, and the high-speed train protests. Then we entered the church and marveled at its interior, brick gothic with splendidly well-preserved 15th-century frescoes many of which were painted by the local painter Giacomo Jaquerio. The presbytery also featured a scenic polyptych by Defendente Ferrari made in 1531. After visiting the church we were off again, following the trail leading eastwards through fields until we came to the city of Rivoli. Once there we headed up the hill dominating town where the large castle is set. Originally dating to the 9th century it was refurbished and reconstructed many times, particularly during the 18th century when the famous architect Filippo Juvarra was commissioned by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to turn it into a grand residence. The architect had a grandiose project in mind, but the work was not completed and only the extensions of the two symmetrical eastern wings were finished, with an unfinished facade left behind. Furthermore, the castle was also heavily damaged during WWII and had to be restored once again. Nowadays it holds a Museum of Contemporary Art which we decided to visit as it was included in our Piemonte Museums Card. We toured it quite swiftly as we weren't particularly keen on its exhibitions and instead tried seeing what of the old castle had survived inside. We saw some rooms with partly surviving frescoes and decorations including the Coronation Hall or conversation cabinet known as the Hall of Amadeus VIII and the Hall of Bacchus and Ariadne. Once we had seen the castle we headed out and admired the nice view from the terraces surrounding the structure giving us a panorama of the city below and in the distance Turin. Over the rooftops of Rivoli stood out the medieval bell towers of the Collegiate church of Santa Maria della Stella and that of the Stella Maris. As we then walked down the old town we passed by the so-called Casa del Conte Verde a late 14th-century brick house known to have been the home of Count Amadeus VI of Savoy, also known as the Green Count as he often wore green velvet clothing during jousting tournaments. Heading on we exited the old town and decided to stop at a supermarket to grab some lunch. After the break, we left the city, and despite being in a highly densely inhabited area our walk further still happened through peaceful countryside until we reached the city of Collegno. Here we walked through its small city center, passing by the castle which as it is private could only be seen from the outside, and entering the church of San Lorenzo in a nice baroque style. Right next to it was the Royal Charterhouse of Collegno, built in 1641 it was then turned into the Royal Asylum in 1853 to eventually be turned into a hospital, municipal offices, a high school, and a university. We entered the complex through the beautiful portal completed in 1737 by the architect Juvarra and then walked around the complex seeing part of the cloisters which despite the unkempt state and overgrown grass were still nice to admire. At that point we still had a few kilometers left to reach Turin, but as it was already afternoon and the way ahead meant walking through the boring suburbs of Turin we decided to head to the train station and go directly into the city center of Turin. Once there we first checked in our accommodation, a nice apartment called Residenza il Nespolo. And then headed out to walk a bit around the city center. We passed by the main monuments in the city, Palazzo Carignano, the main square with Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Reale, and then decided to head to the Mole Antonelliana to visit the National Museum of Cinema, which we had seen many years before, but as we had our Piemonte Museums Card, we got in for free.

The next morning it was time for my brother to leave as he had other plans to meet friends in Tuscany while I decided to stay in the city longer and visit some museums while I could still use the museum card and then head back to the mountains to visit the famous Fenestrelle fort. So we waved goodbye and each one of us went in a separate direction, happy after 5 days of hiking and a total of 140km.