Casa Cavassa is probably one of the most representative Renaissance buildings in Saluzzo. It was the residence of a noble family native of Carmagnola, who rapidly gained the Marquises of Saluzzo’s favour in the 15th century. In 1464 Galeazzo Cavassa was appointed General Vicar of the Marquisate and then the office passed down to his son Francesco, who commissioned renovation works that transformed the house in a splendid palace. In 1883 Casa Cavassa was bought by Emanuele Tapparelli D’Azeglio, a diplomat and art collector. The palace was restored following the 19th-century principle known as "completion according to style": everything that didn't date back to the Renaissance was removed and replaced by works of art and antiques dating back to the 15th and 16th century. In 1888, according to D'Azeglio's will, who wanted to turn it into a museum, Casa Cavassa became the property of the town of Saluzzo. In 1890 the civic museum was first opened to the public. Even today the white marble portal and the sculpted front door (1518-1528), attributed to the sculptor Matteo Sanmicheli from Lombardia, bear witness to the splendour of this palace at the beginning of the 16th century. On one of the walls of the internal loggia you can admire some grisaille frescoes by Hans Clemer, a famous Flemish painter who worked in the Marquisate from 1496 to 1511. The paintings (1506-1511) depict seven of the famous Labours of Hercules. Underneath the balcony, above the mullioned windows, you can note a frescoed decorative band portraying the signs of the zodiac. Currently the tour route consists of 15 rooms full of art collections, including the altarpiece "Our Lady of Mercy", a masterpiece painted in 1499-1500 by Hans Clemer.