Overview
Rocca Pia, called "Dark Valley" as early as the 12th century, owes its current name to King Victor Emmanuel II. Listen to this trivia: in 1860, during a visit by him, the inhabitants begged the king to change this very sad name of their town. Victor Emmanuel II then decided to dedicate it to his daughter Maria Pia, and so, by a decree of 1865, the name was permanently changed to Rocca Pia.
The village has maintained its original urban layout adapted to the orographic situation, with houses embellished with arched loggias and equipped with "vignale", a small outdoor staircase with a covered landing. The fortified part is still called "Castelluccio" and is located in the area immediately below the hill, where there are also the remains of the castle built in Norman times in the 11th century and later owned, along with the fief, by the diocese of Valva. Only ruins remain of the present castle, but the triangular plan with defensive towers is visible. A portion of the Norman fortified tower is located in the upper outpost, while a tower from the Cantelmo era is well preserved. After the castle was abandoned, the owners of the village moved to the ducal residence Palazzo Fidei, built in the 16th century. Rectangular in plan, made of stone and with windows reminiscent of the Gothic style, it was certainly fortified in the past, as evidenced by the side watchtower, now a clock tower.
We suggest visiting the parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which dates from the 13th century, although it was modified in the 16th century. The church has a rectangular layout, with a severe Gothic facade, embellished with a rose window, and a Renaissance portal. The interior, with a single nave, has sober Baroque decorations and a painting of the Assumption.
Leaving the heart of Rocca Pia, at Colleguidone - Casale, we suggest you stop at the rural Church of the Madonna del Casale, built in the 13th century. The Gothic portal is dated 1315 and has a once frescoed lunette, of which a relief of the Crucified Lamb remains. On the stone walls of the rectangular plan are graffiti of wayfarers and transhumants, dating from the 17th century to the mid-1800s, when the Piedmontese besieged brigands barricaded in Rocca Pia after the Unification of Italy. The side bell tower is a watchtower, possibly dating from Norman times. The interior of this particular church, a bearer of historical evidence, has a single nave with a chancel and semicircular apse, decorated with a medieval fresco of the Annunciation. The culinary tradition is rich in delicacies and counts among its best the pecora alla callara, gnocchi with orapi, and lentil soup.