Archaeological remains found in the center of Pinerolo in the early 1970s testify the human presence in the area in prehistoric times.[3] Remains of theRomannecropolis of Dama Rossa, found during works for the Pinerolo-Turin highway in 2003, show that the area at the time was the seat of agricultural activities.[4]
The toponym of Pinerolo appears only in the Middle Ages, in animperial diplom dating from 981, by whichOtto II confirmed its possession, within theMarch of Turin, to theBishops of Turin. The town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of thedukes of Savoy. Its military importance was the origin of the well-known military school that still exists today. The fortress ofFenestrelle is nearby. Later, Pinerolo was ruled by theabbot nullius of Pinerolo, who ran the abbey of Abbadia Alpina, even after the city had established itself as a municipality (1247) under the government ofThomas II of Savoy.
From 1235,Amadeus IV of Savoy exercised over the town a kind of protectorate, which became absolute in 1243, and was continued thereafter by either the House of Savoy, or its cadet-branch, the House of Savoy-Acaia.
When French troops invaded Piedmont (1536), Pinerolo was conquered; it remained under French control until 1574. It fell again to France in 1631 with thetreaty of Cherasco.
France agreed to hand Pinerolo back to the house of Savoy under theTreaty of Turin (1696), with the conditions that its stronghold's fortifications be demolished and that Savoy withdraw from theLeague of Augsburg againstLouis XIV.
Several industries have their base in this area, particularly mechanical, paper making, chemical and textile industries, and also absorb manpower from the nearby population centers.
The leading companies are Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (former Corcos), which produces seals for rotating shafts and valves sterns, Raspini, a meat processing company, TN Italy (former NN Inc.), which manufactures ball bearings, the Trombini Group (ex Annovati), which supplies the furniture industry with chipboard, andPMT Italia, which supplies the pulp and paper industry with paper machines. Moreover, Pinerolo is the trade center of the surrounding mountain area.
The agriculture and the breeding of the livestock are conducted with advanced techniques. Pinerolo is the centre of the community called Comunità Montana Pinerolese Pedemontano, and the reference city for three valleys:Val Chisone,Val Pellice [it] andVal Lemina [it].
Pinerolo is famous for being the house city of the first society of mutual help, foundend in 1848. Today, it is still active and also hosts a museum, the Museo Storico del Mutuo Soccorso with historic archives and a library. Health assistance is guaranteed by the Civil Hospital of Pinerolo Ospedale E. Agnelli and by a network of public and private health assistance centres. The Public assistance is inserted in the bigger frame of the Local Sanitary Company (or Azienda Sanitaria Locale ASL TO3).
David Llewellyn Snellgrove (29 June 1920 - 25 March 2016), a British Tibetologist noted for his pioneering work on Buddhism in Tibet as well as his many travelogues.
The "Man in the Iron Mask" was imprisoned in Pinerolo's dungeon from 1669 to 1681.
