World Air Games Turin 2009: Avigliana

Situated at 20 or so km from Turin, easily reached by the Fréjus motorway, A32, and by train, Avigliana will host the hanggliding and paragliding aerobatics trials. It is a community of around 12,000 people lying in a morainic amphitheatre between Mount Pirchiriano, on which stands the Sacra di San Michele, and the Rivoli hill. It is part of the Mountain Community of the Lower Susa and Cenischia Valleys. Under its sporting profile, it is noted for having hosted many international water skiing events on its two lakes, as well as having conceived what is known today as the Turin Marathon. The first editions of that 42km 195 meter race started right from here.

Avigliana still conserves numerous medieval traces. In particular, the "borgo" surrounding piazza Conte Rosso, still has several buildings from the XIII century. In the centre of the piazza, there is a well, sunk in 1300, in a good state of conservation and, close by, the contemporary Clock Tower, which bore the first public clock in Piedmont and only the second in Italy. In the church of San Giovanni, still near the piazza, hang numerous works by Defendente Ferrari. Another interesting place is the Church of St. Peter, Chiesa di San Pietro, in Roman-Gothic architecture. The ruins of the castle castello, destroyed in the XVII Century dominate the district, which can be reached by a short walk from piazza Conte Rosso.

Among the natural attractions, we should also mention the two little lakes, known as the Laghi di Avigliana, of morainic origin, locally known as Lago Piccolo (the little Lake) and Lago Grande (the big Lake). The marshy area around the lakes has, since 1980, become the nature park of the Avignana lakes and hosts numerous species of birds, including grey herons, mallards, water hens. Facing the lake, is the Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Lakes, managed by the Salesian Order and of great artistic interest.