Facing in the direction of the Turin area, Polonghera owes its past fortunes to its strategic position: fiercely disputed by both the Savoy dukes and the marquises of Saluzzo for its role along the salt road, it was at the centre of prolonged clashes precisely because of that sought-after product, defined as white gold, capable of generating wealth thanks to the duties it guaranteed to the territories the merchants transited through. Today, the confluence point of the Varaita, the second large right tributary of the Po River, is a 170-hectare nature reserve spanning the area between the villages of Pancalieri, Casalgrasso and Polonghera.

Proof of its ancient splendour lives on in the medieval castle with its sturdy square watchtower, a good 22 metres high. Extensively remodelled over the centuries, the manor house is now a private residence and an exclusive location for events. Other equally interesting places are the palace of the Fossati Counts, in the centre of town, which for more than a century has housed the municipal offices, the ancient church of Santa Maria, redesigned between 1838 and 1841 by architect Giuseppe Talucchi, the richly frescoed parish church, and the sanctuary of the Madonna del Pilone, a symbol of faith and testimony to local devotion.

Polonghera, known among gourmets for its Sagra dell'agnolotto e del canestrello, a gourmet event held in spring paying tribute to the local delicacies, is also known thanks to the passion of one of its fellow citizens, Domenico Colombatto, founder of the Toy Soldier and Historical Figurine Museum set up in Via San Rocco. Consisting of three rooms, the display features over three thousand realisations of cast lead toy soldiers and scenes of famous battles reproduced in miniature, ranging from the Napoleonic campaigns to the great wars of the 20th century.