Sant’Agostino Church and Wood of Monte Piocchetto

The church was built around 1470 as an Augustinian convent on the pre-existing Church of Mercy; Blessed Cherubino was the first novice and the first priest who died there and buried in the church in the name of holiness. The church had different vicissitudes over the time : in the Napoleonic era the complex was suppressed and then given to the Jesuits to restablish its religious duties according to the demographic expansion of the city due to the industrialization of the time.

At the departure of the Jesuits, the church became part of the hospital which used it as a deposit and part of the health complex.

Thanks to the Gli Amici di Avigliana association and the engagement of the Municipality of Avi-gliana, the church and the adjoining mountain have been candidates for the Fai campaign The places of the heart of the year 2020, obtaining an excellent result, 89th place and 4436 signatures in favor . This fact made it possible to use the place for guided tours, scheduled openings with the as-sociation’s volunteers and access to future restorations.

The church has part of the original ornaments, with the complete polychrome plaster via crucis, the walnut pulpit, the fresco of the Blessed Cherub in the central dome, and the 1892 painting by Rodolfo Morgari. The original 16th century wooden choir is preserved in other religious buildings.

Extraordinary opening during special events with guided tours organized by the Association Amici di Avigliana