Cuneo is the typical elegant and Savoyard Piedmontese city, a historical, artistic, and natural treasure where you can enjoy great food, breathe mountain air, and reach easily: just under 100 km from Turin, about 180 km from Menton, France, and 70 km from Cascina Facelli!!
But why is it called that? Because of its shape! The Stura River and the Gesso Stream have eroded the valley to create a plateau very similar to a wedge (“cuneo” in Italian). That is where the city was founded.
To start the day right
How about a true gentleman’s breakfast at the historic Caffè Arione, located at Piazza Galimberti 14? Today, it is a fully female-run enterprise within the Arione family. Founded in 1923 by Andrea Arione, this café and pastry shop has been in the city’s main square since the early 1930s. Arione’s fortune was creating the famous original Cuneesi al Rhum chocolates. You can’t truly know Cuneo without stopping by Arione, even if just for a meringue with whipped cream. Bringing a box of Arione’s delicacies as a gift is like giving one of the most appreciated Christmas presents in the history of sweet tooth lovers—I can guarantee it!
When you step outside, don’t get distracted—you are in Piazza Galimberti, a 24,000-square-meter gem from which, on clear days, you can see all of Corso Nizza with the Alpine arch as a backdrop.
How to Continue
From the square, take Via Roma, the city’s most beautiful street, which has recently been restored, with all its buildings’ facades renovated. The first stop is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Bosco, right at the beginning of the street.
Then, continue along Via Roma until the “tip” of Cuneo, taking time to admire the beautifully decorated facades of the buildings. At some point, you’ll see the imposing Civic Tower on your left, which, at 52 meters high, is the tallest point from which to observe the city. You can climb up 132 seemingly endless steps, but you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Cuneo and the Alps.
Get lost in the ancient alleys of the historic center, but don’t forget to visit Contrada Mondovì, the old Jewish ghetto, and admire the majestic murals that brighten up Piazza Boves.
Must-See Places
**The Civic Museum in the former San Francesco Convent**
The Civic Museum is housed in the former San Francesco Convent, which, after careful restoration, still maintains its Gothic imprint despite 15th-century renovations. Inside, you’ll find collections of ancient art and culture, with particularly interesting sections on the Early Middle Ages. It houses archaeological finds from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age. Particularly intriguing on the first floor is the section dedicated to Italy’s largest Lombard necropolis, one of the largest in Europe, along with its grave goods. Excavated in the Ceriolo area of Sant’Albano Stura, the seven male and seven female burial kits are among the best-preserved from the Lombard period. It’s also worth noting that every exhibit description includes Braille text, making history accessible to all visitors.
**Casa Galimberti**
Visiting Casa Galimberti will surprise you—it’s an ordinary family’s house, but for their deeds and achievements, they were anything but ordinary!
Casa Galimberti showcases an incredible passion for art and culture through paintings and a library containing **27,000 volumes**. Both father and son, named Tancredi Galimberti (one a lawyer, the other a partisan hero of the Resistance), were men of letters, evidenced by the grand study at the entrance. The House Museum remains almost exactly as it was, serving both as a home and a meeting place for literary figures and prominent intellectuals of the time. The basement once housed the family’s printing press, which published the newspaper *La Sentinella delle Alpi*. There’s too much to tell about this family—you’ll just have to visit and see for yourself!
**The Sculpture Garden of the Peano Foundation**
Roberto Peano, an antique dealer with a passion for contemporary art, established the Peano Foundation in 1993. This foundation is entirely dedicated to promoting sculpture as a tool for urban renewal, closely integrated with the surrounding natural environment.
The sculpture garden sits on part of the land from the family’s historic botanical nursery, serving as the foundation’s crown jewel. This garden, which catalogues over sixty botanical species for educational purposes, provides a natural setting for a permanent exhibition of contemporary sculptures. The foundation also regularly hosts temporary exhibitions and workshops.
For a Noteworthy Snack
**Open Baladin**
**Birrovia Vecchia Stazione**
…and after that, stretch your legs along the tree-lined avenue leading to the Sanctuary of Madonna degli Angeli—a panoramic spot that will not disappoint.
Until next time!