A "Chivalrous" Visit: The Life of Young Cavalrymen in the 1800s, the Cavalry Museum and the Belle Époque in Pinerolo

The experience

Between the 19th and early 20th centuries, while many Piedmontese people left our valleys in search of fortune, many young people arrived in Pinerolo to attend the prestigious Cavalry School.

Join us to discover the Pinerolo of the 19th century and the Belle Époque, which from 1849 to 1943 hosted the Cavalry School, founded in Venaria in 1823 and which has just celebrated its 200th anniversary. The Pinerolo headquarters was chosen in 1849 by the Royal Army “for the mildness of the climate, the abundance of water and forage, and the healthiness of the land” but also to keep the students away from the capital, considered “especially for the youth a dangerous center of attraction” (from the Memoirs of General Carlo Montù).

The cavalry has a fascinating and ancient history, and our walk through the Historical Museum of the Cavalry will allow you to learn about the life of the young Knights, many of whom came from illustrious families, who arrived in Pinerolo between the 19th and early 20th centuries to study and prepare for a career as officers. Among uniforms, decorations, weapons and, above all, stories of horses and men, you will meet Captain Federigo Caprilli, a great riding instructor and inventor, at the beginning of the 20th century, of the riding method called “Natural Italian”, which follows the natural movements of the horse and is capable of creating a deep understanding between horse and rider.

But that’s not all: with our guide you will visit the historic center frequented by the officer students of the Belle Époque, the famous holy staircase and the Cavallerizza Caprilli, built between 1909 and 1910 by the Military Engineering Corps, today the oldest structure of its kind and the largest indoor riding arena in Europe.

And finally you will discover why the typical sweet speciality of Pinerolo is called Torta Zurigo… by tasting it in the historic cafes of the city.