Collegno

Collegno (Italian pronunciation: [kolˈleɲɲo]; Piedmontese: Colegn [kʊˈlɛɲ] ) is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 9 kilometres (6 miles) west of Turin. It occupies an alluvial plain at the end of the Val di Susa, between Rivoli and Turin, at the foot of Monte Musinè. The terminal course of the Dora Riparia flows in its territory. Collegno originated as a Roman mansio 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Turin, known as Quintum Collegium (hence the modern name). Ancient findings from the area are now in the Museum of Antiquities in Turin. From an ancient Roman villa, a richly decorated church was built at the beginning of the 5th century AD, dedicated to San Massimo, the first bishop of Turin. In 2002, during excavations for the construction of the terminal of line 1 of the Turin Metro, the remains of a Langobard settlement and necropolis came to light. The site has been studied thoroughly until 2006, along with a nearby little gothic cabin's, previously settled. In 1641, Maria Cristina of France, regent of Savoy Dukedom, ordered the edification of a "Charterhouse" to host a monastery; the large building was designed by M. Valperga, the First Ducal Architect and completed by Juvarra. In 1851 the Monastery was transformed in a hospital for mental ills, then closed in 70s of the past century. Lajos Kossuth, the exiled leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, lived in the Baraccone section of the village from 1874 until 1882. The former politician bought a villa with a large garden not far from the train station, and spent his days with gardening, botanical expeditions to the Alps, writing his memoirs and receiving Hungarian guests. He was forced to sell the villa due to financial difficulties. The house was demolished in the 1970s.

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Collegno is a stopover point on The Via Francigena. You can reach Civitas Vaticana - Città del Vaticano in 40 days.