Saluzzo

The russet-brick town of Saluzzo—a flourishing medieval center and later seat of a Renaissance ducal court—is a well-preserved gem with narrow, winding streets, frescoed houses, Gothic churches, and elegant Renaissance palaces. The older and more interesting part of the town hugs a hilltop in the Po Valley and is crowned by La Castiglia, a 13th-century castle that has served as a prison since the 1820s. It is not open to the public. The tourism office can provide you with a map for a walking tour of the town's sights.