Placed along its sense, Val di Susa is surrounded by Cozie and Graie Alps and crossed by Dora Riparia river. During the Middle Age, the "Path of the Franks", the main road to the Gaul. Many abbeys were built along the Via francigena, in order to refresh travelers and to impede the Saracen invasions. The first one that you will meet, not tto far from Turin, is the abbey of Sant'Antonio, near Rivoli, also called "small Sistina of Piedmont", due to its beautiful XV century frescoes.
Val di Susa was crossed by several armies (i.e. Charlemagne, when he came to Italy in order to defeat the Longbards) and for this reason many defensive towers and castles were built during the centuries: the Castle of Conte Verde, near Condove, the Visconti's home-fortress in Villarforchiardo, the Borello castle, in fron of Bussoleno, the medieval castle of San Giorio, with a very suggestive historic centre. But the most beautiful fortress is that one of Exilles, not too far from Susa.