Belvedere- A beautiful view over the Monregalese.

Mountains, hills and plains for as far as the eye can see!

From here you have a breathtaking view of the Monregalese territory as well as the Ligurian Alps and Monviso, the highest mountain in the province of Cuneo. You can also see the first slopes of the Langhe region. Everything within reach!

This varied and diverse panorama is dizzying. From the bell chamber inside the “Bressani” Tower you can see it all. Everyday these bells strike the hours for the residents of Mondovì and every evening, at sunset, they ring in memory for those who have fallen in war.

These bells have continued to strike throughout the centuries, even to this day. The story began in 1198 when a group of people left the nearby village of Vicoforte to make their home in a new town on the top of the hill, the “Monte de Vico”.

This ambitious project was inspired by their desire for freedom from rule of the Bishop of Asti. The bell tower, also called the “Tower of Bressani” named after a local family, became a landmark of the town of Mondovì. It has been standing strong like a sentry since the 13^th and 14^th century, on the hilltop in the neighborhood we now refer to as Piazza.

Originally, it was the bell tower of the Sant’Andrea Church, which once stood there, but was destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. In 1762, the Mondovì-born physicist, Giovanni Battista Beccaria, used the tower for his experiments of a trigonometric point to determine the longitude that ran through Piedmont.

In memory of this great physicist, who was not very well-known but very importance to science, a memorial was erected in the nearby square of the former grammar schools. A small museum was also created in his memory in the classic language grammar school (in the former nunnery, Nostra Donna, on the piazza IV novembre).  

In the grassy area at the foot of the tower (with benches, a fountain and a children’s playground), a small “Time Park” was created, with various sundials and relative information boards. On the one hand, this “Time Park” is reminiscent of Beccaria, while on the other, it highlights Mondovì’s great tradition of sundials. There are more than forty sundials spread over the five neighborhoods of Mondovì!

We must not forget, however, that a visit to the tower itself, with the mechanisms of its large clock, is only a small piece of this journey dedicated to time.  This educational green area was created on the occasion of a world exhibition at the beginning of the 20^th century and is a popular meeting place for families, children and the elderly.

It’s an ideal starting point to discover the city!

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TOWER OF BELVEDERE

March 1^st to June 14^th:  Saturdays, Sundays & public holidays:  from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

June 15^th to September 15^th:  Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

September 16^th to November 1^st:  Saturdays, Sundays & public holidays:  from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Reservation: Turistic office IAT, tel. 0174.330358, Mail: iatmondovi@cuneoholiday.com.