Chieri

Chieri lies among the hills southeast of Turin. Its medieval commune prospered through trade, and wealthy merchants brought works of art from distant markets. Among the works brought by its merchants were paintings from Flanders. The church of Santa Maria, rebuilt in the fifteenth century, reflects a period of economic and artistic flourishing in the town.

Internal struggles weakened the commune, and in 1339 Chieri submitted to Robert of Anjou, sharing its territory with the Savoy-Achaea family. It eventually passed wholly to Savoy when the Achaea line died out. French forces governed the town from 1551 to 1562, amid a century of wars and epidemics. A severe outbreak of plague struck in 1630, yet churches and chapels continued to be built and decorated during the following decades.