19th century Chieri cultural heritage is almost all housed between the walls of the Cathedral (the Duomo). The stations of the cross by Rocco Comaneddi date back to 1810 and the painting of “The Invention of the Sacred Cross” by Giovanni Vacca, to 1815. The general restoration of the Cathedral was achieved between 1874 and 1880 under the direction of Edoardo Arborio Mella and was carried out by some of the main artists of the Accademia Albertina of Turin (Andrea Gastaldi, Enrico Gamba and Gabrielle Ferrero). They were exponents of the “painting of history” and “ prospective and architectonic painting” at that time.
In those same years a local-born Chieri painter, Alberto Maso Gilli became known and appreciated within Europe as an expert in medieval furnishings and above all as an engraver. Some of his works are kept in the town hall and in San Giorgio, in the female orphanage and the Annunziata churches. Recently a consortium has purchased and brought back to Chieri four of his paintings with views of the town.