Originally a small parish outside the fortified walls of the town, the Church of St. Mary is probably the oldest parish in Savigliano. Its foundation dates back to the sixth century A.D.
Its history is marked by alternating moments of glory and abandon. Damaged on several occasions it was completely rebuilt in the 15th century, when the direction it faced was changed, but was unfortunately closed in the 18th century due to its evident state of decay. It was finally opened again after undergoing work by the architect Bartolomeo Ricca between 1767 and 1769. Unluckily the chancel was seriously damaged by a fire in 1847, and had to be rebuilt by Maurizio Eula and newly decorated by Domenico Cardellino.
It is currently one of the four parishes in Savigliano, and although it needs restoring, it can easily be defined as a small art gallery. It contains many precious treasures, and visitors will be amazed to find works of art in every corner, even where you least expect it, with frescoes and canvases by the most important artists who worked in the town.
Kept in the church are some 16th century frescoes, which were taken from Santa Croce Church, a small chapel situated in the countryside around five kilometres from the town.