Val Pellice in Piedmont
The remarkable homeland of the Waldensians
The Val Pellice is a beautiful, green valley in Piedmont, west of Turin. It offers plenty of unspoiled nature and the historic past of the Waldensians.
I live right at the entrance to the valley and am therefore often out and about in Val Pellice. There are cute villages to visit and great hikes to go on.
Find here all you need to know about places to see and visit as well as hiking suggestions in the Pellice Valley.
Val Pellice Overview
The Val Pellice is one of 3 Waldensian valleys to the west of Turin in Piedmont.
The 29 km long Pellice Valley is home to cute villages and plenty of beautiful and almost untouched nature. Thanks to its diverse flora, with many centuries-old chestnut and beech trees, it is a wonderfully green valley that is ideal for hiking.
It is crossed by the river Pellice, which gave the valley and the villages their names. Val Pellice is also rich in history and offers a variety of interesting museums.
This valley is one of the few in the Italian Western Alps without a car connection to France. However, this untouched and unspoiled area is criss-crossed by beautiful hiking trails to the neighboring country.
The famous Grande Traversata delle Alpi, the Via Alpina and the Sentiero Italia are long-distance hiking trails that pass through the upper part of the Val Pellice.
History of the Val Pellice / History of the Waldensians
The history of Val Pellice is closely linked to the history of the Waldensians.
In Lyon (France), the merchant Petrus Waldes founded a Christian lay brotherhood in the middle of the 12th century.
He and his followers, the Waldensians, shifted due to social injustice in France and Christian poverty.
This pre-Protestant theology quickly spread throughout Europe, and his followers were accordingly persecuted with great cruelty by the Catholic Church.
In order to preserve their faith, the Waldensians fled in the 12th century. Thanks to its proximity to France, Val Pellice became their place of refuge.
In 1532, the Waldensians joined the Reformation, which led to bloody persecution in the following centuries.
When France and Savoy formed an alliance against the Waldensians in 1685, they were defeated after heavy fighting. Many tried to flee over the mountains towards Geneva.
Four years later, they returned thanks to the support of William III of Orange, the new English king. He supported those religious groups who had become victims of France’s Catholic policy.
Today, the Waldensians are the largest Protestant religious community in Italy.
Villages in Val Pellice
Torre Pellice
Torre Pellice was and is the main town of the 3 Waldensian valleys. Today, the village still has just over 4,500 inhabitants and is the principal town of Val Pellice. It is located at 516 m above sea level and is actually a dynamic little town with a cute old town, without being overrun by tourists.
Torre Pellice is still the center of the Waldensian Church in Italy. The Waldensian institutions are all located along Via Beckwith:
The Waldensian Cultural Center Foundation, the most important of the 3 Waldensian churches (Tempio Nuovo) in Torre Pellice and the Casa Valdese, in which the synod hall houses a fresco by the Waldensian painter Paolo Paschetto.
Val Pellice Villages
Villar Pellice
Villar Pellice is located between Torre Pellice and the valley’s final village, Bobbio Pellice. The hamlet is home to just over 1,000 residents.
The village is marked by the imposing Chiesa Gesù Adolescente, a church built in 1922. Villar Pellice also offers several accommodation options.
One of its highlights is the Ecomuseo Feltrificio Crumière, a museum dedicated to the region’s industrial and textile history.
Restaurant Tipp: In the Restaurant Cà Piana Pizzeria you can choose from different types of dough for your pizza and enjoy it while sitting on the terrace, overlooking the valley in the heart of Villar Pellice’s main square.
Val Pellice Villages
Bobbio Pellice
Bobbio Pellice is the last larger village in the valley. Beyond the village, the road narrows significantly, leading to a few small clusters of houses.
From here, it’s possible to cross the border into France on foot, though there is no passable road for cars.
With a population of just under 550, Bobbio Pellice serves as a starting point for several excellent hikes in the Cottian Alps.
Villanova Pellice
Villanova Pellice is more of a hamlet than a village, located about 7 km along a narrow but still paved road past Bobbio Pellice.
From Villanova, the route continues on a gravel road along the Pellice River, leading to the hikers’ parking lot at Rifugio Willy Jervis.
Situated at 1,234 meters, Villanova Pellice consists of just a few beautiful traditional stone houses and the Trattoria Villanova di Rivoira Antonella, which offers local dishes and simple rooms for hikers.
The hamlet is a great starting point for hikes along the young Pellice River, which flows through the narrow valley, cascading over large and small natural waterfalls.
Things to see Val Pellice
In addition to the individual village centers of Torre Pellice, Villar Pellice and Bobbio Pellice, there are the following things and places to visit in Val Pellice:
Waldensian Museum
The Waldensian Museum is located in the middle of the pedestrian zone of Torre Pellice. In the historical section, eight centuries of Waldensian history are illustrated with documents and pictures.
In the ethnographic section, various objects of daily life in the Waldensian valleys from the 19th and 20th centuries are reconstructed.
Numerous documents in the museum tell the brutal story of the “Pasque piemontesi”, for example, when the Duke of Savoy’s army murdered almost 2000 Waldensians in 1655.
Address: Museo valdese – Via Beckwith, 3 – 10066 Torre Pellice (⇨ Location)
Opening Times: Thursday – Sunday daily from 3pm – 6pm
Forte di Santa Maria di Lucerna
The ruins of Forte di Santa Maria di Lucerna are located in Torre Pellice (⇨ Location). This fortress, still visible today near the Angrogna stream, overlooks the town from the northeast and gave it its name.
Originally, the Forte di Santa Maria di Lucerna featured a pentagonal structure with five bastions, surrounded by a moat, and was only accessible by drawbridge.
In the past, the fortress was used to control the Waldensian population of the valley, imprisoning those who refused to convert to Catholicism.
Unfortunately, the ruins are on private land and cannot be visited.
Ecomuseo Feltrificio Crumiere
The Ecomuseo Feltrificio Crumière is located in Villar Pellice. This museum, dedicated to the industrial and textile industry, showcases large, well-preserved machines from the felt production process.
Some of these machines are still functional and occasionally even put into operation.
Address: Piazza Jervis 1, 10060 Villar Pellice (⇨ Location)
Opening Times: Only in summer, Saturday & Sunday from 3pm – 6pm
Things to do in Val Pellice
Le strade dei Valdesi – Short Hike
This short yet beautiful hike begins in the center of Bobbio Pellice. Starting at the old stone church, the trail leads into the woods, following paths once used by the Waldensians during their escapes.
Along the way, several information boards share details about the area’s history and key events, while you pass the ruins of old stone houses hidden in the forest. The trail also offers stunning views of Bobbio Pellice and the upper Val Pellice.
The hike continues past the Monumento del Sibaud, a religious monument commemorating the Waldensians’ Christian faith, reaching its highest point in Pausette. The return route passes through the hamlets of Podio and Balmette (3,8km)
⇨ Details and pictures recorded with Komoot
Things to see in Val Pellice
Tumpi di Bobbio Pellice
One of my favorite spots during the summer heat! Just a short distance from the village of Bobbio Pellice, accessible via a narrow mountain road, the Tumpi offer the perfect place for a refreshing or ice-cold dip.
These small natural pools are located along a stream, near a waterfall (⇨ Location).
It’s an ideal escape from the scorching summer temperatures. In the summer months, parking costs €3.00 in one of the limited parking bays along the road.
Hike from Villanova Pellice to Rifugio Jervis
This is one of my favorite hikes in Piedmont! Just after the hamlet of Villanova, the hiking trails split: the mountain path that follows the stream on the right is a bit more rugged and ideal for the outward journey if you’re still feeling energetic.
The ascent along the torrent is stunning, with a variety of waterfalls along the way. The Rifugio offers a beautiful view of a large plateau, making it the perfect spot for a break.
For the return journey, the trail leads down the opposite side of the stream, partly following a gravel road shared with cars and partly along scenic hiking paths, always staying close to the Pellice.
This 8 km tour is also suitable for families with some mountain hiking experience.
⇨ Details and pictures recorded with Komoot
How to get to Val Pellice
Valle Pellice is easily accessible by car. From Pinerolo, simply follow the SP161 to reach Bobbio Pellice.
Parking is free in most areas. I recommend the following free parking spots within the villages:
- Torre Pellice: Parking in the center, just behind the Esso Gas station
- Villar Pellice: Parking on the village entrance on Via dei Martiri
- Bobbio Pellice: Parking in the center, opposite the campground
From Turin, the 65 km drive to Torre Pellice takes about an hour.
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