Funicolare di Mondovì

Mondovì's funicular is a distinctive work of transport heritage, linking the lower town of Breo with the medieval rione Piazza above. Its panoramic windows frame the town and surrounding Alps.

Why it matters

Mondovì is divided between the lower town of Breo along the Tanaro valley and the historic rione Piazza on a steep hill. Rebuilt in 2006 on a route first served in 1886, the funicular continues the historic connection between the two parts of the city. Its carriage windows frame the Alps from the Ligurian range toward the mountains west of Turin.

What to notice

The current cabins were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, built by Carvatech in Austria and delivered in March 2006. Broad glazing characterises their design. The previous generation of blue cars served the line until its reconstruction in the 2000s.

Context and history

The line opened in 1886 to link Breo with Piazza, beginning with steam traction and passing through a water-counterweight system before electrification in 1926; new cars followed in 1923, and the fleet was upgraded again in 1941. Falling ridership and the cost of modernisation closed it in 1976, and for three decades the city's most distinctive piece of infrastructure stood still. The revival was slow and administrative: first contacts with industry at the 1999 SAM fair in Grenoble, a program agreement signed on 22 May 2002 between provincial, regional and municipal authorities, and a contract in July 2003 awarded to a consortium of Doppelmayr Italia and Garboli/Conicos on a design by Sintagma of Perugia. Demolition of the old plant began in January 2005, the new drive machinery came from Doppelmayr Italia, and the Giugiaro-styled cars arrived from Austria on 11 March 2006. The reopened funicular entered service on 16 December 2006, funded by the region, province and municipality with support from Fondazione CRC.