Castelnuovo Don Bosco
Encyclopedia
Castelnuovo Don Bosco is a comune
(municipality) in the province of Asti
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 20 km east of Turin
and about 25 km northwest of Asti
, on a hill near the confluence of the Nevissano and Bardella.
Castelnuovo Don Bosco borders the following municipalities: Albugnano
, Buttigliera d'Asti
, Capriglio
, Moncucco Torinese
, Moriondo Torinese
, Passerano Marmorito
, and Pino d'Asti
.
and the counts of Biandrate
, until it was given by the German emperors to the marquesses of Montferrat. Subsequently it was under the commune
of Asti, then a fief of the lords of Rivalba
and of those of Piea
, until it returned to Montferrat
. Later it was acquired by the house of Savoy
. It was a fief of the Simiana until the late 18th century.
It was named Castelnuovo d'Asti, prior to being renamed in honor of John Bosco
.
In the frazione
of Mondonio are the notable Castello di Rivalba, with a large square tower, and a Baroque parish church.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the province of Asti
Province of Asti
The Province of Asti is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Asti. To the north west it borders on the province of Turin; to the south west it borders on the province of Cuneo. To the east it borders on the province of Alessandria, while in the south it...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, located about 20 km east of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and about 25 km northwest of Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
, on a hill near the confluence of the Nevissano and Bardella.
Castelnuovo Don Bosco borders the following municipalities: Albugnano
Albugnano
Albugnano is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km east of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Asti....
, Buttigliera d'Asti
Buttigliera d'Asti
Buttigliera d'Asti is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Asti.-External links:*...
, Capriglio
Capriglio
Capriglio is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 25 km southeast of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Asti...
, Moncucco Torinese
Moncucco Torinese
Moncucco Torinese is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km east of Turin and about 30 km northwest of Asti.It has a castle , housing a Museum of Chalk....
, Moriondo Torinese
Moriondo Torinese
Moriondo Torinese is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km east of Turin....
, Passerano Marmorito
Passerano Marmorito
Passerano Marmorito is a small rural comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 25 km east of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Asti. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 454 and an area of 12.1 km².-Geography:The capoluogo of the...
, and Pino d'Asti
Pino d'Asti
Pino d'Asti is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km east of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Asti. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 225 and an area of 4.1 km²....
.
History
Castenlnuovo's origins, as attested by the name (meaning "New Castle") are connected to a castle built before 1000 AD, around which a burgh grew as time passed. It was once divided in two by the lords of RivaRiva presso Chieri
Riva presso Chieri is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 15 km southeast of Turin.-Natives of Riva presso Chieri:*Domenico Savio , canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954....
and the counts of Biandrate
Biandrate
Biandrate is a comune in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 12 km west of Novara.-History:...
, until it was given by the German emperors to the marquesses of Montferrat. Subsequently it was under the commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
of Asti, then a fief of the lords of Rivalba
Rivalba
Rivalba is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 15 km northeast of Turin.Rivalba borders the following municipalities: Castagneto Po, San Raffaele Cimena, Gassino Torinese, Casalborgone, Sciolze, and Cinzano....
and of those of Piea
Piea
Piea is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 30 km east of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Asti.-External links:*...
, until it returned to Montferrat
Montferrat
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
. Later it was acquired by the house of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
. It was a fief of the Simiana until the late 18th century.
It was named Castelnuovo d'Asti, prior to being renamed in honor of John Bosco
John Bosco
John Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
.
Main sights
- Medieval tower, one of the few remains of the castle once overlooking the burgh. In the nearby is a Baroque sanctuary of the Madonna.
- Parrocchiale of Sant'Andrea.
- Villa Filipello, in Liberty style.
- Palazzo dei Rivalba.
- Basilica of Don Bosco, in the saint's native quarter.
- Romanesque church of Sant'Eusebio, on the road leading to Berzano San Pietro.
- Also in Romanesque style is Santa Maria di Rasetto, in the locality of Garesio outside the town.
In the frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Mondonio are the notable Castello di Rivalba, with a large square tower, and a Baroque parish church.
Notable Castelnovesi
- Giuseppe Cafasso (1811–1860), saint, was born here.
- Don Bosco (1815–1888), saint, was born in the frazioneFrazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
(hamlet) of Becchi. - Domenico Savio (1842–1857), saint, moved here from his birthplace, ChieriChieriChieri is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont , located about 11 km southeast of Turin...
, at the age of about 12 months.