Ruffino Palace
6 / 26
The palace, which became the seat of the Municipality in 1854, was built as the residence of Count Ottavio Ruffino between the 17th and 18th centuries with bricks recovered from the demolition of the castle.
The lineage from Savigliano, already very influential, gained further importance with the marriage between Henrico, son of Ottavio, and Duchess Silvia Del Pozzo, who, passionate about art, collected many works, giving prestige to Diano.
THE COUNCIL HALL
Inside the palace there are decorations in Piedmontese Baroque style and the Council Hall, which at the time of the Ruffinos was used as a reception and ballroom, is certainly the richest in art and history.
Unfortunately, during the earthquake of 1887 the vault collapsed and was rebuilt only after 13 years, with a flat vaulted ceiling; with the subsequent renovations, a particularly valuable chandelier weighing approximately 100 kg was installed.
As part of the renovation, many decorations were modified, but some remained in the original Baroque style. Some precious maps of Diano, dating back to the Napoleonic era, are preserved here today.
THE GUESTS IN RUFFINO PALACE
Palazzo Ruffino, now a municipal building, has been historically the home of the nuns from the Mother House of Nizza Monferrato, of the medical clinic and of the headquarters of the Alpini and the Carabinieri.
Today it is on 4 floors:
- Civil Protection headquarters on the 2nd floor;
- City Council Hall and Tax Offices on the 1st floor;
- Registry Offices and Technical Offices on the ground floor;
- Alpine headquarters and warehouses on the -1 floor
DIANO D’ALBA COAT OF ARMS
Originally Diano's coat of arms was a castle with three towers, because one had been demolished: nowadays it depicts Diana (Artemis for the Greeks) on a hunting trip. The town takes its name from the Roman goddess: a small temple was dedicated to her, which is now a small brick chapel, near the tunnel along the provincial road. In the coat of arms there are also two branches, one of an olive tree, to symbolize peace, the other of an oak, a symbol of brotherhood.