Cuneo: Renaissance Art, Longobard History, and Urban Green Spaces

A weekend guide to Cuneo highlights the city's cultural and historical offerings. The Museo Civico, housed in the ex-convent of San Francesco, features Venetian 16th-century painting and a rich collection of Longobard artifacts from the Ceriolo necropolis, Italy's largest. The Casa Galimberti Museum, open only on weekends, preserves the residence of the Galimberti family, including the studio of senator Tancredi Galimberti and a section on his son Duccio, an antifascist leader killed in 1944. The Fondazione Peano, established in 1993 by antiquarian Roberto Peano, maintains a sculpture garden with over sixty botanical species and hosts temporary exhibitions and an annual sketchbook festival. The Parco Fluviale Gesso e Stura spans 5,500 hectares, connecting to the Alpi Marittime Natural Park, and offers cycling and cross-country skiing. The Filatoio di Caraglio, the oldest preserved silk mill in Europe (late 17th century), now houses the Museo del Setificio Piemontese and temporary shows, including Steve McCurry's 'Texture' until January 29. Recent public art includes Michelangelo Pistoletto's 'Il Terzo Paradiso dei Talenti' at the Rondò dei Talenti, inaugurated in October as part of the 'A cielo aperto' project by Fondazione CRC. The city also boasts a UNESCO-recognized wine region and was named Ecosistema Urbano 2022 by Legambiente for its cycle-pedestrian network.