Cinaglio: sights, history and trails

The village today rises on top of a hill, but once had to be placed more downstream. The first news of Cinaglio, whose name seems to derive from Latin dinnerculum, in the meaning of "hotel", "inn", i.e. a resting place on the road connecting Hasta with Industria, date back to Roman times.

In 962 he was assigned to the bishop of Asti by Emperor Otto I.

In 1198, according to the Codex Astensis, Cinaglio is included in the territories subject to Asti and its jurisdiction. It became a free municipality in 1383, passing, included in the dowry assets of Valentina Visconti a little later, under the dominion of the Orleans.

The pacts agreed by the Community with the Visconti in 1383 were at the base of the events of the territory for about two centuries.

With the passage of Asti to the Duchy of Savoy (1531) also Cinaglio loses the privileges he had enjoyed under the Visconti. Only in 1560 he obtained the recognition of his own allowances, reconfirmed by Carlo Emanuele I in 1587.
Being "land franca" Chinaglio was not subjected by any feudal lord until the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1619 the county of Chiusano-Cinaglio was established and assigned to the Caissotti. With Napoleonic domination he was part of the department of Tanaro.

Only after the restoration and return of Vittorio Emanuele I, the province of Asti, then suppressed with the Unity of Italy. From then until 1935, Cinaglio was part of the province of Alessandria.

Among the religious buildings we remember:

• the Parish of Santi Felice and Giorgio, Baroque construction with exposed brick facade
• the ancient Church of San Felice at the cemetery, erected in the 13th century in Romanesque forms, with brick masonry exposed

In the concentric is the interesting gipsoteca "E. Gonetto", rich collection of chalks of artistic character with copies of masterpieces from ancient times to modern times.
Immediately outside the center, we find the resort Gorghi very interesting from a naturalistic and paleontological point of view, as they were found in yellow sands, characteristics of the "astian" period, fossil remains of marine and terrestrial animals.

In long walks in the natural park it is not rare to meet the hawk, the pear, the acorner and many other wild animals. Part of the territory of the municipality is included in the special nature reserve of Valle Andona, Valle Botto and Val Grande.

Settime-Cinaglio-Mombarone station was activated in 1912 along the ceased Chivasso-Asti railway, whose operation was permanently suspended in 2011.

Between 1882 and 1915 Cinaglio was served by the tramway Asti-Cortanze.

Below is a table relating to the administrations that have succeeded one another in this municipality.