Neive Things to Do

This photo shows a typical house of Neive and the region, built in bricks and covered with the Roman tiles. In Neive, I have not caught any interesting chimneys. The few that are on this photo are not worth a close-up !

1 more image

The city hall stands in a street parallel to the one on the spine of the hill (sorry, I have not written down the name), a little lower. It is a three levels building with an ornemental front. As the street is narrow, it is difficult to have the whole of it on one photo (photos 1 and 2).

Sorry, my tip was too long and I had to cut it into two pieces.

The first photo on next tip "Titles of the house of Savoie" shows the ornemental front of the city hall with a clock and the coat of arm of the city.

The second photo on the tip "Titles of the house of Savoie" is a close-up on the coat of arm that is uncommon. The coat of arm of the “commune di Neive” (city of Neive) is a large white cross on a red background with a smaller cross of the same design in each corner. These five crosses are what is called in French “croix tréflée” or “croix boutonnée” or “croix de Saint Maurice” and in English cross botonny or Saint Maurice cross. The latter name comes from Saint Maurice d'Agaune, an abbaye in the Swiss Valais (Wallis). Saint Maurice is the Saint patron of the House of Savoie.

The usual “croix de Savoie” (Savoy cross) displayed in several places in the Alps is a white Latin cross on a red background but the House of Savoie uses also the Saint Maurice cross. That means that Neive should have a very close relationship with the House of Savoie. For those who would not know it, let me remind that the House of Savoie had numerous lands, not only in Savoie, but also in Nice, in Piemont, in Val d’Aoste, in Switzerland, in Sardinia, in Armenia, in Cyprus and more. Among many other titles (see below), the house of Savoie wore the title of prince of Piemont, and in the Asti-Brà region the titles of prince of Carmagnole, prince of Brà, prince of Montferrato, marquis of Govone, count of Asti… The Dukes of Savoie became in the 19th century the kings of Italy.

1 more image

Titles of the house of Savoie (borrowed to Titres de la Maison de Savoie :

N… par la grâce de Dieu roi de Sardaigne, de Chypre, de Jérusalem et d’Arménie, duc de Savoie, comte de Maurienne, marquis en Italie, prince de Piémont, de Carignan, d’Onéglia, de Poitin, de Trin, prince et vicaire perpétuel du Saint Empire Romain en Italie, prince de Carmagnole, de Montmélian, prince bailli du duché d’Aoste, prince de Chieri; de Dronero, de Crescentino; de Riva de Chieri et Banna, de Busca, de Bene, de Brà, duc de Gênes, de Montferrat, d’Aoste, du Chablais, de Genève, de Plaisance, marquis de Saluces, d’Ivrée, de Suse, de Maro, d’Oristano, de Cesana, de Savona, de Tarentaise, de Borogomanero et Curregio, de Caselle, de Rivoli de Pianezza, de Govone, de Salussola, de Racconigi… de Cavaller-Maggiore, de Marene, de Modane et de Lanslebourg, de Libourne Ferraris, de Santhia, d’Aglié, de Centallo et Demonte, de Desana, de Ghemme, de Vigone, comte de Barge, de Villefranche, de Genevois, de Nice, de Tende, de Romont, d’Asti, d’Alessandria, de Goceano, de Novarre, de Tortone, de Bobbio, de Soissons, de Saint-Antioco (en Sardaigne), de Pollenzo, Roccabruna en Piémont, de Tricerro, de Bairo, d’Ozegna, d’Appertole, baron de Vaud et de Faucigny, seigneur de Verceil, de Pignerol, de la Lommelline et de la vallée de la Sesia, du marquisat de Ceva, grand-seigneur de Monaco, de Roquebrune et de un décime de Menton, noble homme patricien vénitien, patricien de Ferrare, souverain et chef de la maison royale de Savoie.

1 more image

Chiesa San Michele was closed but has a superbly carved wooden double door. Each door have the same carving, best seen on the second photo. It represents a balance and a sword; Justitia is the goddess Justice, known to the Greek civilization as Themis, and to the Roman civilization as Justitia. Its traditional representation is of a woman with her eyes bandaged, holding the Scales of Justice and a sword. Here, the Church has skipped the woman and kept only the tools !

Chiesa San Michele (Saint Michael church) stands also on Piazza Negro, next to the parish church. It is also a baroque church but built in the 17th century by the “castellamontiana confraternita” (castellamontiana brotherhood). It is now no more consecrated.

From the cross road where the main road arrives in Neive, a steep and straight street, for pedestrians and local traffic only, leads to SS. Ap Pietro e Paolo chiesa parrochiale (Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul parish church), Piazza Negro, 7. It is a baroque style church from the 18th century with a campanile (clock tower) from the 16th century.

1 more image

On the first photo, the old part of Neive is seen with tele lens from Ca’ du Rabajà where we stayed for 4 nights (see my Barbaresco page)

The second photo shows Neive from the road that leads from Barbaresco to Neive, with wine-yards all around.