What do you associate the name Carmagnola with? To most people, it would probably only be a difficult Italian name, but for a few gourmets the saliva starts running at the mere mention of this word. They know the town has a reputation for growing the best peppers in Italy.
Fortunately, for those who are less culinarily inclined, there is more than peppers to enjoy in this lovely provincial town. The atmosphere here is sedate and laid back and its 15,000 inhabitants are far removed from the stresses of city life.
Carmagnola is quite old. It probably has Roman roots and is mentioned in 11th century sources but its outlook today is largely due to the town plan of 1666, which resulted in a thorough re-organization of the town. There is plenty to see here with interesting churches and palaces and there are a good number of cafés and restaurants.
If you happen to be near Carmagnola on a Wednesday you should go to the essentially local market in the historic centre. Here you will find 200 stalls selling absolutely everything and anything.
