Page 3 - Guida di Chiomonte Gravere Exilles

numerosi Piloni che palesano lo spirito religioso dei graveresi nel corso dei se-
coli passati.
Un’interessante testimonianza del passato celtico della zona sono le incisioni
sulla sommità del roccione che sorregge la croce in pietra, a fianco della Chie-
sa Parrocchiale. Si distinguono due impronte di zoccolo equino ed accanto sei
piccole coppelle segni di un antico culto pagano: i sacerdoti druidi, infatti, sa-
crificavano vittime (anche umane) alle divinità celtiche e, da come il sangue si
disponeva nelle coppelle, traevano delle profezie.
Sentieri, mulattiere, pascoli e boschi un tempo utilizzati dai contadini, sono ora
diventati un immenso spazio a disposizione di tutti coloro che vogliono risco-
prire il contatto con la natura: trekking, mountain bike, arrampicata, ma anche
gite escursionistiche invernali (sci alpinismo, sci di fondo, racchette), soprattut-
to nella zona di Pian Gelassa. Per gli amanti dell’arrampicata ricordiamo la Pa-
rete dei Cervi, che si staglia sul versante nord della Rocca di Bastia. Conosciuta
in Europa per l’estrema difficoltà dei suoi percorsi: 26 tracciati, per un livello
di difficoltà costantemente sopra i 6 gradi. Esiste anche una via ferrata (per
escursionisti esperti) e delle gorge, lungo la Dora Riparia che si estendono per
7km tra Susa, Giaglione, Gravere e Chiomonte. Alcune riviste specializzate le
hanno incluse fra le 5 gole più suggestive d’Italia. Uno straordinario gioco della
natura, modellato dalle forze erosive dell’acqua, del vento e del gelo, per quello
che può essere definito un ‘piccolo Colorado’ piemontese.

introduction its citizens and to the nearby Valsusa thermal baths. By the 11 th cent. the city and its surrounding area were
Gravere, located about 58km from Torino, derives its name from the French word gravier (gravel). The
nd cent.
A.D. the city’s aqueduct supplied water to
history of Gravere dates back to the Roman era. By the 2
ruled by Marchioness Adelaide of Susa and Later became the bone of contention between the counts of
Moriana-Savoy and the counts of Albon (also called Dauphiné). A copy of the original 1607 stone pylon,
that marked the boundary border between Savoy and Dauphiné, can still be seen along the state road 24.
However, in 1713, the treaty of Utrecht assigned the Susa valley to the House of Savoy. To prevent flooding
a barrier called ‘La Mura’was built across the torrent Gelassa in 1728. Towards the end of World War II The
Susa Valley became a strategic place as the Torino-Modane railway was the fastest and safest way for
germans to reach Italy and France.
The Parish Church, situated in Refornetto, is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and to St. Barba-
ra. It was built as a result of a vow made in 1958 during an outbreak of plague. The 1656 bell tower holds
the first mechanical clock to be set in the area. Inside the church there are a beautiful green marble altar, an
th cent.)
icon of the Madonna della Losa and a wooden crucifix (18
.
The Certosa of Madonna della Losa. It appears likely that the Church was constructed by the romans
over a megalithic sacred site such as a dolmen or a menhir (la Losa). It seems that the parish has been
th
served by Benedectines monks since the 9 th cent. . Here the monks built a chapel dated from the half of the 9
cent. , while the frescoes on the ceiling representing the apostles, St. Benedict and St. Basil are more recent.
Later on Marchioness Adelaide, donated the Certosa to St. John Baptist cathedral in Turin. Around 1190 a
group of Carthusians here established a convent, but due to frequent robberies they soon left the place.
Almost all of the hamlets surrounding Gravere have their Chapels: the Chapel of Alteretto, the Chapel of
Arnodera, the Chapel of Olmo and the Chapel of Armona. The Chapel of Delveys (17 th cent. ), dedicated to the
Madonna della Neve, was built by the Morello family.
Alongside the Parish Church, the engravings on the rock at the bottom of the stone cross show evidence of
a former celtic heritage. The carvings, depicting two horse’s hooves and six cup marks, refer to an ancient
pagan religion: the druids used to make offerings (human offerings as well) to the celtic deities and looked
for omens by observing the blood flowing in the cup marks. Woods, paths and grazing lands near Gravere
are a great opportunity for all of those who love trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing or skiing. A re-
markable place for climbing is the Parete dei Cervi (The Wall of the Deers) situated on the north side of
the Rocca of Bastia. Its climbing trails are well known for their high degree of difficulty. Nearby, there are
also a via ferrata (for expert hikers only) and 7km-long canyons which are located along the Dora Riparia
river. This ‘small Colorado of Piedmont’ has been named among the top 5 most striking gorges of Italy.