Bra (Bra in Piedmontese, Braida in Latin) is an Italian town of 29 571 inhabitants in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont. Bra is located equidistant from Turin and Cuneo (50 km to the south and north-east respectively). Alba is 15 km away. It is part of the province of Cuneo, of which it is the third most populous municipality and is part of the archdiocese of Turin. It is not crossed by major rivers or streams, however the Pollenzo fraction is touched by the Tanaro near the former Reale estate. The territory is characterized by a vast plain, where the city has developed and a hill, which houses part of the historic center. The hilly relief of the municipality of Bra is in fact the beginning of the Roero area.
the parish church of Sant'Andrea in Baroque style, built to a design
by Gian Lorenzo Bernini under the guidance of Guarino Guarini.
the
parish church of Sant'Antonino Martire, built by the monks of San
Colombano di Bobbio starting in 1693 to replace the ancient parish
church, today the church of the Beata Vergine Assunta (or of the
Madonnina della Veneria). It preserves the statues of 1728 Sant'Anna
with the Virgin Child and of San Gioacchino with the Virgin Child by the
sculptor Carlo Giuseppe Plura and the paintings by Rodolfo Morgari
Madonna with the Belt and Saints and The Virgin with San Gioacchino,
from 1874.
the parish church of San Giovanni Battista.
the
sanctuary of the Madonna dei Fiori, patroness of Bra. It is part of the
parish of San Giovanni Battista, and preserves the statue of the Virgin
by the sculptor Giuseppe Realini. The facade of the sanctuary features
one of the most important mosaics made by Marko Ivan Rupnik. The name of
the sanctuary is due to the tradition according to which in Bra, on 29
December 1336, the Madonna appeared to a young pregnant woman, Egidia
Mathis. The young woman, threatened by some mercenaries near a votive
pillar with the effigy of Mary, would have been saved by the sudden
apparition that put the criminals to flight, while all around, even in
the middle of winter, wild plum bushes would have suddenly blossomed .
Still these bushes inexplicably flower in the middle of winter, rather
than in spring.
the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli now Capuchin.
the parish church (fraction of Bandito) of the Beata Vergine Assunta (or
of the Madonnina della Veneria); the ancient church of Veneria has its
roots in the Middle Ages and is the result of successive
transformations: originally it was dedicated to Sant'Antonino, then it
was dedicated to the Madonna della Neve, to the Madonna delle Grazie and
today to the Assumption. There is news of the church in 1082 in a
document in which the Countess Adelaide di Susa gives a chapel dedicated
to Sant'Antonino to the Abbey of San Colombano di Bobbio (PC), a
concession which was renewed in 1153; the donation took place together
with the territory of Corticella and Santa Maria di Roasio. In the
mid-sixteenth century it became a parish. The layout of the church and
perhaps the frescoed parts preserved inside seem to be able to be traced
back to this date. Starting from 1693, the new church of Sant'Antonino
Martire was built and in 1702 the parish was moved there. Even after the
transfer of the title of Sant'Antonino within the walls, the Benedictine
monks of Bobbio continued to keep the church of Veneria active, which
they named after the Madonna della Neve. In 1780 in the pastoral visit,
Msgr. Costa di Arignano already identifies the church with the title of
Santa Maria delle Grazie. The main altar is decorated with a precious
altarpiece depicting the Madonna enthroned with Child between
Sant'Antonino and San Grato. The current marble high altar was built in
1996.
the church of San Rocco now the seat of the orthodox parish
of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
the church of San Giovanni Decollato
(or dei Battuti Neri) headquarters of the Confraternity of Mercy
the
church of San Giovanni "Lontano"
the church of Santa Chiara designed
by Bernardo Antonio Vittone was built by the Clarisse nuns. Work began
on May 27, 1742 and it was opened to the public in 1748 even if not
completed. The plant has a quadrilobate and the whole construction is
set on four large pillars which support the complex interplay of the
coretti, the double dome and the cupola. The double dome is openwork
(diaphanous dome). Through the four mixtilinear openings of the lower
dome, the frescoed paintings in the lower dome can be seen, illuminated
by the light that comes from various openings. In this interior, light
is the absolute protagonist of the architectural story. The stuccos are
by Bernardino Barelli while the pictorial decoration is the work of
Pierpaolo Operti from Braidia. The Poor Clares left the church in 1883
and in 1892 began the construction of a monastery in viale Madonna dei
Fiori; Santa Chiara is still owned by the Capuchin Friars today.
the
parish church of San Vittore in Pollenzo
the parish church of San
Lorenzo in the locality of Riva
the church of the Trinity (or of the
Battuti Bianchi) from the seventeenth century
Castle of Pollenzo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the Savoy
residences in Piedmont. All buildings are in the neo-Gothic style.
Royal Borgo of Pollenzo. Pollentia was an ancient Roman city which
reached its peak in the Julio-Claudian age. Many finds, found in various
excavation campaigns, are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Palazzo
Traversa. During the Middle Ages it was reduced to a modest agricultural
village and garrison of religious communities, including the
Benedictines of Novalesa-Breme. A fortification was already present
before 1238 but it was necessary to wait many centuries to arrive at the
current form of the castle and in particular when it passed to the
patrimony of the Savoy, in 1838. Carlo Alberto will start massive works
entrusting the care to the court architects Pelagio Palagi and Ernesto
Melano . In addition to the restoration of the castle, the village was
built with the Church of San Vittore, the square with the portico, the
Agency and a large square tower with merlons. In the Church there is the
wooden choir coming from the Staffarda abbey. The castle and the immense
agricultural estate are now privately owned while the Agency buildings
were the focus of an initiative promoted by Slow Food, the Piedmont
Region and the City of Bra. The result was a mixed company called
"Agenzia di Pollenzo" which completely restored the area and set up,
among other things, the University of Gastronomic Sciences and the Banca
del Vino. The outdoor spaces, square and streets of the hamlet of
Pollenzo, have been the subject of restoration works financed by the
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.
La
Zizzola: symbol building of the city. With an octagonal plan with two
floors surmounted in the center by a turret, it is located on the
highest point of the city: the hill of Monteguglielmo, near which the
ancient castle was located until the 16th century. The Bra guide of
1875: ".. owned by the lawyer Maffei, an elegant and graceful rotunda
that dominates the city. Tradition has it that behind this villa, on an
open space that can still be admired, witches once celebrate on
Saturday". So it was a country villa that the rich owners opened to
friends for parties and receptions. In 1962 the Zizzola was donated to
the municipality of Bra by Guido Fasola, to whose family it had belonged
since 1915 with the constraint that the building be used as a venue for
conferences or a museum or other public activities and the land as a
garden or public park. Cultural and entertainment events are held in the
park, mainly organized in the summer.
Palazzo Traversa: the
original nucleus dates back to the mid-fifteenth century and is used,
after the restoration work carried out in the eighties, as a Museum of
Archeology and Art History. It brings together finds from ancient
Pollenzo (founded by the Romans) and local works of art from the
seventeenth century to the contemporary era. It is part of the "Castelli
Aperti" system of Lower Piedmont. It is the only Gothic-style building
left in the city and over the centuries it has been the subject of
various interventions. It was built by a branch of the Malabayla family
of Asti. After various passages it came to the Alberiones who had it
decorated with Ghibelline merlons after 1666. In the 1907 Guide to Bra
the building is indicated as the property of Don Traversa, hence the
current name. In 1935 the then owners, the Boglione family, donated it
to the Municipality so that a museum could be set up. The most
interesting part of the building, which is also the one with the highest
architectural quality, is the elevation on via Parpera.
Palazzo
Comunale: Building of medieval origin; like other city buildings it
underwent renovations and transformations to be adapted to the needs of
the growing city. The intervention that brought it to its current form
was carried out between 1730 and 1732 by the architect Bernardo Antonio
Vittone on behalf of the municipality. The façade has a convex central
part flanked by two rectilinear lateral bodies and shows similarities
with Palazzo Carignano in Turin, from which it takes up the tripartite
layout. Access to the historical part is given by an invitation
staircase added around 1897 which leads to the large arched door flanked
by two rectangular openings with an overhanging circular eye.
Palazzo Mathis: The building, of fourteenth-century origin, stands in
front of the town hall and the first owners were the Solaros, a family
from Asti. Captain Giacomo Solaro, as governor of the castle of Bra,
found himself in 1552 commanding the defense of the city, allied with
the French, against the duke of Savoy, Emanuele Filiberto. The fortress
fell and was destroyed and the Solaros disappeared from Bra, also
leaving their palace. From 1652, for over two centuries it was owned by
the Boassos who in 1870 sold it to the Icheri of Malabaila. The Boassos
carried out many transformations by merging three buildings into the
whole that today makes up the palace. In 1878 the building passed to
Masenza who in 1906 sold it to Ambrogio Mathis. The municipality bought
the building from the Mathis heirs in 1978. Today, completely restored
by the municipality and the Cassa di Risparmio di Bra Foundation, it
houses the culture and tourism offices and, on the noble floor, hosts
exhibitions and cultural events, as well as housing a permanent
collection of works by the Cheraschese artist Romano Reviglio.
Palazzo Garrone: It is of medieval foundation but underwent radical
transformations during the seventeenth century. The property changed
hands variously and the period in which the Albrione di Rorà lived there
was significant, embellishing the residence. The 1875 Guide to Bra
mentions the Garrones as the new owners, hence the current name. General
Andrea Massena, following Napoleon, seems to have stayed in the Palace.
The municipality became its owner in 1882 and first used it as a
barracks and then moved some offices there. For many years it will host
schools and then the magistrate's court and then the branch of the court
of Alba. From an architectural point of view, the most valuable part is
the eighteenth-century one and the atrium with the Victorian-style
staircase.
Civic Theater Politeama Boglione: It was inaugurated
on 1 September 1900 and built thanks to the legacy of Giuseppe Boglione.
Designer the Milanese Achille Sfondrini. Remodeled several times, it
underwent a makeover in the 1950s that completely changed the interior
with the demolition of the loggias. It was a theater and cinema for many
years and then closed in 1985. It "reopened" in 2004 after a substantial
restoration, albeit in a modern key. The exterior is that of Sfondrini
with a large colonnade and the dome that dominates the building. It
hosts theatrical and musical reviews.
Bra is home to the following secondary schools
Classical,
Scientific, Linguistic, Human Sciences "Giolitti-Gandino" State High
School
State Technical Commercial Institute "E. Guala"
State
Industrial Technical Institute - Associated Section "A.Sobrero"
"V.
Mucci" State Professional Tourist, Graphic and Hotel Institute. It is
the leader of the Piedmontese Enogastronomic Polo, which provides
post-graduate training courses.
"San Domenico Savio" Parified
Professional Institute
In the Pollenzo hamlet, the University of
Gastronomic Sciences has been active since 2004, a non-state, legally
recognized university.
Academy of the Nameless
In full
Arcadian climate, on 27 July 1702, the Academy of the Innominates was
born in Bra. Unique in Piedmont with the Accademia degli Incolti of
Turin, it was elevated to an Arcadian colony by the Arcadia of Rome for
the prestige and renown it acquired. It was originally an association of
men of letters, poets, men of culture, lovers of music and the visual
arts. The academics renounced their names and assumed a title with which
they signed the poetic works. The founder was Count Pier Ignazio Della
Torre and he counted among the members Giuseppe Zorgnotto, the
Submissive, Giovanni Battista Bonino, the Genial and among the members
also the most famous Italian men of letters of the time, Ludovico
Antonio Muratori and Scipione Maffei. Among the women, Benedetta
Clotilde Lunelli from Cherasco and Aurora Sanseverino from Lucania stood
out. They met in a house in the historic centre, where painted
medallions depicting the personalities of the Academy are still visible
today. The decline of the partnership began after 1720. In 2002 a study
and insight conference was held in Bra, curated by Alfredo Mango. The
proceedings are collected in the volume "L'Arcadia e gli Innomimati a
Bra", Franco Angeli Edizioni.
Museum of Natural History "Ettore and Federico Craveri"
Historical
and Archaeological Museum of "Palazzo Traversa"
Toy Museum
Bicycle
museum
Mathis Palace
Bank of Wine, Pollenzo Agency
Birthplace
of Saint Cottolengo
Bra sausage is prepared by mixing lean beef and pork fat.
Once it
was packaged with only beef for the benefit of the Jewish community of
Cherasco. A tradition made official by a royal decree which authorized
the butchers of Bra to use beef in the preparation of fresh sausage, the
only case in Italy. Today, the butchers in Bra and the surrounding area
prepare it by finely grinding 70-80 percent of lean Piedmontese veal
meat and 20-30 percent of lard and pork belly. The paste must be kept
soft and moist and stuffed into a small mutton casing. Each butcher has
his own particular dosage in the composition of the dough: all use sea
salt, a mixture of spices (white pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg); each one
customizes using garlic, fennel, leeks, grated Parmesan, aged Robiola di
Langa, Arneis or Favorita white wine. Bra sausage should preferably be
eaten raw and fresh or cooked as much as possible accompanied by
peperonata.
The salòt is a sweet of uncertain origins prepared on
the occasion of the Epiphany. It consists of two discs of bread dough
(or brioche) which enclose a filling of candied fruit and apricot jam.
The oldest Fair among those in operation is the Easter Monday
Zootechnical Review in Piazza Giolitti.
In odd years, "Cheese" is
held, i.e. the international milk and cheese fair. Invented by the Slow
Food movement based in Bra, it involves milk producers and workers from
all over the world. This event is held every two years and is held in
September. In the last edition alone, over one hundred thousand people
visited the fair during the four days dedicated to cheeses.
Every two
years Corto in Bra is an international review of short films.
Every
year on the last Sunday of September, the public and private courtyards
of the historic center are the protagonists of a food and wine and
cultural initiative "From courtyard to courtyard". Through an itinerary
to discover the old Bra and local products.
Every year in May, the
Children's Book Fair takes place, a review of youth publishing that
follows the major edition (Turin Book Fair) by a few days.
Location and Regional Context
Bra lies at coordinates 44°42′N
7°51′E, roughly 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Turin and 50 km northeast of
Cuneo. The municipality spans 59.53 km² (about 23 sq mi) and forms part
of the historic Roero zone—sometimes broadly grouped with the
neighboring Langhe hills to the south, though Roero has its own distinct
identity. The Tanaro River marks a key natural divide: Roero occupies
the left (northern) bank, while Langhe lies to the south. Bra is
positioned on higher ground within this hilly belt, historically chosen
for its defensive plateau above the lower plain where the ancient Roman
settlement of Pollentia (modern frazione of Pollenzo) once stood.
Piedmont itself (“piedmont” literally means “foot of the mountains”) is
framed by the Alps to the north and west, the Apennines to the south,
and opens eastward into the Po Plain. Bra occupies a classic piedmont
foothill position—neither fully flat lowland nor high mountain.
Etymology and Early Medieval Foundations
The name "Bra" derives from
late Latin braida or breda, meaning "open field" or "arable land,"
possibly with Longobard (Lombard) influences. An alternative root is
classical Latin praedium ("farm" or "manor"), reflecting its
agricultural origins. Early documents mention Bra around 1082–1120, when
Benedictine monks from Novalesa-Breme established a settlement under the
protection of Adelaide of Susa. By the 11th–12th centuries, the Brayda
family (from whom the town may also take its name) controlled a feudal
center and began building a castle on the hill.
In the 12th century,
Bra became a fief of the powerful city-state of Asti and shared its
turbulent history of Guelph-Ghibelline conflicts. It evolved into a free
commune while navigating influences from nearby powers like Alba, the
Marquisates of Saluzzo and Monferrato, and the Savoy Lords. A fortified
castle existed by the 13th century, but the town remained modest and
agricultural.
Transition to Savoy Rule (16th Century)
The 16th
century brought major upheaval. In 1515, French forces damaged the
castle during the Italian Wars. In 1552, Emanuele Filiberto (Ironhead),
Duke of Savoy, besieged and destroyed the castle amid conflicts with
France. By 1559, Bra was fully incorporated into the Duchy of Savoy,
ushering in a period of stability, trade growth, and cultural
development.
18th Century: Baroque Flourishing and City Status
The 18th century marked Bra's golden age of architecture and prestige.
In 1760, Carlo Emanuele III of Savoy elevated Bra to city status via
letters patent. Three years later (1763), he granted it as an appanage
(not a fief) to his son Benedetto, Duke of Chablais, with princely
title.
This era produced some of Piedmont's finest late-Baroque
architecture. Architect Bernardo Antonio Vittone designed masterpieces
here, including:
The rounded facade of the Palazzo Municipale
(Town Hall).
The Church of Santa Chiara (construction began 1742;
opened 1748), with its quadrilobate plan, perforated double dome,
stuccos by Bernardino Barelli, and local decorations by Pierpaolo
Operti. It remains one of Bra's most iconic landmarks.
The Church
of St. Andrew features a facade designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (though
completed two centuries later). Other notable buildings include Palazzo
Mathis (14th-century origins with later transformations), Palazzo
Garrone, and the historic piazza (now Piazza Caduti per la Libertà),
framed by elegant porticos and palaces.
19th Century: Industry,
Saints, and Scholars
The 1800s saw economic diversification. Tanning
became a major industry (lasting until around 1860), and Bra emerged as
a key center for aging and trading "nostrale" cheese—today protected as
Bra DOP cheese (cow's milk, with possible sheep/goat additions). It was
exported widely, including for Genoa's pesto. Bra sausage (salsiccia di
Bra), originally made with beef for the Jewish community in nearby
Cherasco, also gained fame (a royal decree once mandated 100% beef).
Notable figures born in Bra include:
St. Giuseppe Benedetto
Cottolengo (1786–1842), founder of the Piccola Casa della Divina
Provvidenza (a major charitable institution).
Latinist G.B. Gandino,
archaeologist Edoardo Brizio, and naturalists Ettore and Federico
Craveri (who founded Bra's natural history museum).
20th Century:
Wars, Resilience, and Economic Change
During World War II, Bra
interned 17 Jewish refugees (1940–1943). After the German occupation in
September 1943, all escaped and survived—some hidden locally, others
reaching Allied lines. Post-war, the town modernized with horticulture,
livestock, industry, and infrastructure (railway, highways). Former
military barracks were repurposed for civic use.
Modern Era:
Birthplace of Slow Food and Gastronomic Capital
In 1986, local
activist Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement in Bra as a
response to fast-food culture (notably the first McDonald's in Italy).
It promotes biodiversity, traditional foods, small-scale agriculture,
and "good, clean, fair" eating. Bra remains its global headquarters.
Every two years, Bra hosts Cheese, Slow Food's massive international
festival of artisanal and raw-milk cheeses, drawing hundreds of
thousands of visitors. In 2004, Petrini also established the University
of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) in the restored Agenzia di Pollenzo—a
former Savoy residence now part of a UNESCO-listed site (along with the
Baroque Borgo and other structures).
Prehistoric and Iron Age Significance (c. 3rd century BC – the Brå
Cauldron)
Brå’s fame rests on the Bronzekedlen fra Brå (Brå cauldron
or Bråkedlen), one of the most impressive Celtic-influenced artifacts
found in Denmark. In February 1952, during winter fieldwork in the
village (likely farm-related digging or a targeted excavation),
archaeologists uncovered the fragmented remains of a massive bronze
cauldron deliberately deposited in a pit.
Description and
features: The vessel had a diameter of about 1.2 meters and an estimated
capacity of around 600 liters—large enough for communal feasts or
rituals. It was deliberately hacked into hundreds of pieces before
burial (a common “killing” or ritual destruction practice in votive
deposits). The surviving upper parts included ornate bronze mounts and
handles featuring stylized bull heads (outward-facing) and an
inward-looking owl mask. The handles were hollow, filled with clay for
decorative effect rather than structural support.
Origin and dating:
Dated to the Pre-Roman Iron Age (La Tène/Plastic Style period, roughly
3rd century BC), it was not locally made but imported from Celtic
workshops in Central Europe (likely Moravia, Bavaria, or nearby
regions). This reflects early cultural and trade contacts between
Scandinavia and the Celtic world south of the Alps/Rhine, predating the
more famous Roman Iron Age influences.
Ritual context: The cauldron
was placed in a pit, topped with two large boulders and smaller
stones—clearly a deliberate votive offering to deities, possibly linked
to fertility, feasting, or watery/bog rituals common in Iron Age Denmark
and northern Europe. Similar (though smaller) deposits appear elsewhere,
but the Brå example stands out for its size and quality. Associated
finds included an axe, underscoring its sacrificial nature.
The
discovery was promptly studied and published in 1953 by Danish
archaeologists Harald Andersen and Ole Klindt-Jensen (in Bronzekedelen
fra Brå). It is now housed in the collection of the Prehistoric Museum
at Moesgaard (near Aarhus), where it illustrates Denmark’s early
connections to broader European Celtic artistic and ritual traditions.
This find highlights the Pre-Roman Iron Age in Denmark (c. 500–1 BC): a
period of bog offerings, increasing social complexity, and contact with
Celtic cultures via trade routes. Nearby bogs like Brå Mose (in the
Bjerre/Rårup area) were part of this ritual landscape.
Medieval
to Early Modern Period (c. 1000–1800 AD)
Little specific
documentation survives for tiny Brå itself, as it was never a major
administrative center. It fell under Bjerre Herred in the medieval
administrative system and later became part of broader rural parishes
(e.g., influences from nearby Rårup or Hornsyld areas). Like much of
eastern Jutland:
It was part of the agricultural economy under
manorial systems, with tenant farming, woodlands, and fields.
Viking
Age and early medieval settlement patterns in the region involved
dispersed farms and possible minor pagan-to-Christian transitions,
though no major runestones or mounds are directly tied to Brå.
Post-Reformation (after 1536), the area followed standard Danish rural
patterns: Lutheran parish life, crown or noble land ownership, and
gradual enclosure of fields.
No churches, manors, or documented
events center on Brå; it remained a minor locality within the larger
Horsens/Vejle hinterland.
19th–21st Century: Modern Rural Life
Brå evolved as a typical Jutland farming hamlet:
19th–early 20th
century: Agricultural reforms, drainage of bogs/marshes, and
introduction of modern farming. Brå Mølle (the mill) served local grain
processing.
20th century onward: Municipal mergers incorporated it
into Hedensted Kommune (post-2007 reforms). Population remains small,
focused on agriculture, with some commuting to Horsens or Vejle.
Today it is a peaceful residential and farming spot, occasionally noted
in genealogy (e.g., families from Brå Mose or nearby farms) or local
heritage tours tied to the cauldron.
Until the end of 1860 there was a thriving tannery business in Bra.
The city events of the period are narrated in the works of the writer
Giovanni Arpino, from Braid on his mother's side. Today nothing is left
of that period, except the Art Nouveau facade of the Novella factory in
via Piumati.
The city gives its name to a DOP cheese, but today
in Bra not even a form of the homonymous cheese is produced and even in
the past it mostly came from the towns in the valleys and mountains of
Cuneo. However, it was the Braidese traders who matured and brought
"ours" to the Piedmontese and above all Ligurian markets, where it was
used in the preparation of pesto. In the Genoese area it is still in
great demand today. The favorable climatic conditions and the fortunate
geographical location of Bra made it the largest collection center for
the seasoning and marketing, initially done on horse-drawn carts.
The Braidese economy has changed several times over the years. There
is a strong industrial sector.
Horticultural agricultural
production continues to remain solid, mostly marketed on the wholesale
market in Turin and through large-scale distribution in Piedmont,
Lombardy and Liguria. The livestock sector is substantial with cattle
and pig breeding.
From 1842 to 2020 the Cassa di Risparmio di Bra
was active, merged into BPER BANCA.
Bra belongs to the Langhe and Roero basin even if the tourist vocation is quite recent. The presence and influence of Slow Food have contributed significantly to the promotion of the city and the area.
the Associazione Calcio Bra club, founded in 1913, plays in Serie D.
The city of Bra hosts a section of the Italian Referees Association,
belonging to the Piedmont-Val D'Aosta Regional Committee.
Field
hockey has been practiced in Bra since the 1960s. The most titled team
is the women's team, the H.F. Lorenzoni, winner of numerous
championships in the top flight of the Italian championship and in the
indoor championship, as well as Italian Cups and Italian Super Cups. The
men's field hockey team won their first championship in the 1974/1975
championship under the name of Hockey Club Bra and over the years has
won this recognition several other times, as well as national cups and
super cups.
Cycling
On 9 June 1994, the 19th stage of the 1994
Giro d'Italia ended in Bra da Lavagna with the victory of Massimo
Ghirotto.
On 29 May 1999 the 14th stage of the 1999 Giro d'Italia
started from Bra for Borgo San Dalmazzo with the victory of Paolo
Savoldelli.
On 18 May 2023 the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia
2023 will start from Bra for Rivoli.
Sport facilities
The city
has various sports facilities capable of hosting various disciplines. In
1972 the Cassa di Risparmio di Bra financed the construction of the
Palazzetto dello Sport, dedicated to basketball, indoor hockey,
athletics, tennis. Owned by the municipality, it is managed by the
Polisportiva Palasport and is home to the Match Ball Tennis Club with
adjoining clay, synthetic turf, carpet and grass courts.
In viale
Madonna dei Fiori there are two synthetic grass fields for field hockey,
soccer fields (including the Attilio Bravi stadium, all under municipal
management) and the swimming pool managed by the Braidese swimming pool,
under mixed management private (70%) and common. The whole area, once
used as a parade ground, is bordered by a cycle path.
Other
structures arise in the localities of Bescurone, Via Rosselli, Bandito,
Pollenzo; in corso Monviso stands the Brasport centre, mainly used for
futsal.