Abbazia di Staffarda

History

Founded around 1135 by the Cistercians on land donated by Manfred I, Marquis of Saluzzo, Staffarda became one of the great "agricultural factories" of Po-valley monasticism, reclaiming the plain between the Po and Monviso. In 1690 the Battle of Staffarda between French and Piedmontese troops damaged it badly; in 1750 it passed to the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, whose Foundation still preserves it and opens it to the public. The complex, with its Gothic church, cloister and farming hamlet, is among the most evocative medieval monuments in Piedmont.

Visiting

What to see

Cloister with red brick colonnades. Medieval and Renaissance frescoes. Cistercian Romanesque church. Refectory with XVI century frescoes.

Surroundings

Saluzzo Hills. Saluzzo (medieval town, 15 km). Cheeses, local DOC wines. Trekking in the hills. View of Monviso.

Visitor information

Tue-Sun 9am-12.30pm and 1.30-5pm; from November to March mornings only (9am-12pm). Closed Mondays.

Contacts

+39 0175 273215 · ordinemauriziano.it · staffarda@biglietteria.ordinemauriziano.it

Hospitality and where to sleep

No guesthouse

No guesthouse. Hotels and B&Bs at Revello (5 km). Farm stays in the valleys. Hostels at Saluzzo (15 km).

Beds and prices

No guesthouse: no religious community lives at Staffarda any more — it is a monument of the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano. To sleep: B&Bs and farm stays in Revello (3 km) and Saluzzo (9 km), mid-range; Saluzzo also has hostels and hotels and is the most convenient base.

Services

The adjoining hamlet is tiny: a refreshment point/trattoria operates on opening days, but it is wise to stock up on water and food in Revello or Saluzzo. Good phone coverage (open plain). For group bookings: staffarda@biglietteria.ordinemauriziano.it.

Places to stay nearby (within 15 km)

• Ostello del Pohostel
  Località Paracollo 29, Saluzzo (CN) · 7.0 km as the crow flies

  Price:

  n/a

  Open:

  year-round, booking required (tel. 0175 291225)

  Facilities:

  25 beds, suited to cyclists and trekkers

  Source:

  parks.it (Parco del Monviso)

  Monviso Park stage lodging on the Po, ~6 km from Staffarda Abbey.

Getting there by bike

You pedal across dead-flat country between Saluzzo and Revello, with Monviso straight ahead: better the little asphalted farm roads than the busy SP589. No gradients; you can ride right into the hamlet and leave the bike by the ticket office. Full ticket 6.50 € (reduced 4.50/3.50 €, free under 11); closed on Mondays.

True flat ground all the way to Staffarda, Monviso stays ahead for the whole road. Lock the bike at the ticket office and go in like everyone else. Watch out for Monday, the fixed closing day.

Bike left at the ticket office. Refreshment point in the adjoining village on opening days; to be safe, stock up on water in Revello or Saluzzo.

Map and stages