Avigliana


Avigliana is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region or Italy, with 12,480 inhabitants as of January 1, 2017. It lies about west of Turin in the Susa valley, on the highway going from Turin to Frejus, France.
It is best known for two maar lakes, Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo. Also nearby is the massive Sacra di San Michele.

History

In 574 the Lombard King Cleph built a castle here. According to some sources, the battle between the Franks of Pippin the Younger and the Lombards of Aistulf occurred in the nearby in 750. Later Avigliana depended from the Abbey of Novalesa, and subsequently it was a possession of the House of Savoy.
Avigliana was captured by Emperor Henry VI in 1187, but later it was acquired by Thomas I of Savoy. In 1536, in the course of the Italian Wars, it was again stormed by French troops. French attacks repeated in 1630 and 1690, the latter with the destruction of the castle.

Main sights

Avigliana has two gates on the A32 Bardonecchia-Turin motorway. It has also a station on the Turin-Modane railroad.

Twin towns