Comune Silvano d'Orba

piazza Cesare Battisti, 25 - 15060 Silvano d'Orba (AL)
Tel. +39 0143 841491
Fax: +39 0143 841154
E-mail: info@comune.silvanodorba.al.it
http://www.comune.silvanodorba.al.it/

The first records of Silvano date to the 12th century when the castle was conquered by the Genoese. It went on to become the possession of the Marquises of Monferrato, then the Adorno family and finally the Marquises Botta; in 1708, it was finally annexed to the Duchy of Savoy. The visit starts with the climb to the 15th-century castle; it is a majestic construction situated in an elevated position guarding the village, with a rectangular shape and four corner towers and protruding crenellation on the walls. Descending a few hundred metres, we reach the Church of San Pietro, also built during the 15th century and enlarged in the 17th century. The interior, frescoed by Ivaldi il Muto, preserves the prestigious high altar and the balustrade of the presbytery both in polychrome marble. At the end of the descent, we meet the Church of San Sebastiano, now the parish church. From the church square, we can start another delightful walk that takes to the Church of Santa Maria delle Neve, one of the oldest churches of the diocese of Tortona and probably built around the 6th century. The interior preserves canvases that represent scenes of the life of the Virgin, dating to the mid-18th century. The Church of San Pancrazio, instead, is located high up on the hill above Silvano: it was probably built around the 12th century when the relics of the Saint arrived from Rome. The interior preserves the altarpiece depicting the Martyrdom of San Pancrazio and a reliquary that preserves some fragments of the Saint’s bones, recognized authentic in 1576. Silvano is famous for the distilleries that produce grappa using the ancient discontinuous alembic method. This is whey it is known as Borgo della Grappa (Grappa village).