The main building of the central square is the parish church of Santa Lucia (A). The façade’s massive structure and statues almost clash with the church’s cosy interior. On the left of the altar there are two paintings, one representing the Virgin Mary with Santa Maria Maddalena and Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, the other depicting two Saints (signed “Geovosius Rodes / Venetus Fecit / year 1793″). The painting on the right shows Santa Lucia saving Cissone from a disaster. The precious organ was made in 1879 by “Collino Padre e Figli” from Turin.

Next to the church there is the former seat of the Disciplinati Brotherhood (B). It was built between the 15th and 16th century and restored in 1771 as it is written on the entrance. The church was donated by the parish to the town council in 1984 but it was in very bad conditions. Therefore, it was decided to transform it into a multifunctional room for exhibitions. Inside a Roman funerary stele that confirms the roman origins of the village is conserved.

A good number of wayside shrines testify the faith of this community. We’ll see some of them during our tour.

• Pilone della Chiesetta. It’s the oldest and the most beautiful shrine of the village, it is more than 500 years old. It stands on the road towards Dogliani where once a little church stood (that explains the shrine’s name). It was built by the villagers to thank God after the end of a pestilence.
• Pilone delle Case Nuove. As it’s written it was built in 1791.
• Pilone di San Luigi. It was built in 1700 in honor of San Luigi.
• Pilone di San Sebastiano. Here there was once another 3m-high shrine that was then demolished to build a porch. San Sebastiano statue is 1m high but it’s slightly ruined and misses some parts. This shrine, as the next two, was used for the Rogation days before the Ascension.
• Pilone di San Sebastiano Fenogli. The Fenogli hamlet is very close to Cissone; this shrine was built around 1930, probably in memory of a woman who died under rubble of her house.
• Pilone votivo “Cascina Vedove”. It is surrounded by fields in the Vedove hamlet which is now uninhabited. This shrine was built around 1700 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, her statue is 50cm high.
• Pilone votivo Cagnassotti. It is still quite well preserved. The written date 1935 is probably the year of the restoration. Inside the shrine there is a statue of the Virgin Mary with Child. Standing on the roof made with local stones is an iron cross.

Before going back to the centre of Cissone, we reach the panoramic point of the Strada Romantica (C) on a little hill near the public weigh-house.

We visit now the cemetery church of Natività di Maria Vergine (D) surrounded by an amazing landscape. Inside we observe the altar, which is decorated in false marble with floral patterns, and a 15^th century fresco by Antonio Bianchetti from Cherasco better known as “Bianchetto”.

Mountain bike tour

The main building of the central square is the parish church of Santa Lucia (A). The façade’s massive structure and statues almost clash with the church’s cosy interior. On the left of the altar there are two paintings, one representing the Virgin Mary with Santa Maria Maddalena and Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, the other depicting two Saints (signed “Geovosius Rodes / Venetus Fecit / year 1793″). The painting on the right shows Santa Lucia saving Cissone from a disaster. The precious organ was made in 1879 by “Collino Padre e Figli” from Turin.

Next to the church there is the former seat of the Disciplinati Brotherhood (B). It was built between the 15th and 16th century and restored in 1771 as it is written on the entrance. The church was donated by the parish to the town council in 1984 but it was in very bad conditions. Therefore, it was decided to transform it into a multifunctional room for exhibitions. Inside a Roman funerary stele that confirms the roman origins of the village is conserved.

We ride for 1,5 km from the church to Pianezza Chapel (also known as Madonna della Neve chapel) (C) going through steep and tortuous paths. The church dates probably back to 1777 as it was written behind the altar before 1994 flood erased it. Inside there is a 1792 painting dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the same year it snowed on 5^th August, that’s why the chapel is called Madonna della Neve (“Madonna of the snow”).

Our tour goes on with Serravalle Langhe. This village is known for an 18^th century church, the Town Hall that was owned by del Carretto marquises, the medieval chapel of San Michele that hosts many precious frescos.

Before going back to the centre of Cissone, we reach the panoramic point of the Strada Romantica (D) on a little hill near the public weigh-house.

We visit now the cemetery church of Natività di Maria Vergine (E) surrounded by an amazing landscape. Inside we observe the altar, which is decorated in false marble with floral patterns, and a 15^th century fresco by Antonio Bianchetti from Cherasco better known as “Bianchetto”.