Peveragno

Silver medal for civil merit "A small town, during the tragic days of the Liberation War, suffered a ferocious reprisal by Nazi troops who rounded up thirty fellow citizens, especially women and older men, brutally masacring them to bursts of gunfire. Admirable example of courage, spirit of freedom and patriotism. " - Peveragno (CN), 10 January 1944

The town has an average altitude above sea level of 570 meters. At the foot of Mount Bisalta, whose name derives from the fact that it consists of two peaks close to each other but well distinguished, the highest one is 2404 m above sea level. With its main villages, S. Margherita, S. Lorenzo, S. Giovenale, Madonna dei Boschi, Montefallonio, Pradeboni (at an altitude of 950 m above sea level), has more than 5000 inhabitants. The town covers a large valley facing north-east and is protected in the north and west side from the S.Giorgio hill and the foothills of Moncalvino, whereas in the east side is open to Chiusa Pesio and the plain.

To the extensive fields of the flat area follow the chestnut woods, beech, conifers of the hilly area, and finally the high pastures and stony grounds of the mountain over 1500 meters. Peveragno is crossed by two major rivers: Josina, which flows on the east side and Bedale passing through it. There are many trails and paths that allow pleasant and easy walks, by foot or mountain bike, whereas for mountain fans, the highest peaks of Bisalta allow equally attractive excursions as well. Peveragno is 12 km far from the provincial chief town Cuneo, just over 20 km far from Mondovi and from the Turin-Savona highway.

Peveragno area, before the Christian era and the subsequent conquest by the Romans, was inhabited by Celtic-Ligurian people whose presence is proven by iron tools and ornaments found on Moncalvino hills (two Paleolithic axes and one from Neolithic) and Castelvecchio. There are numerous archaeological findings on this hill, where you can still see stretches of the city walls dating in a later period (Lombard period).

The first historically documented news dates back to the mid-twelfth century and concern the primitive village of Forfice. This name appears for the first time in a document dated 1153, in which it is mentioned "de Fulchardus Forfece," but it is likely that the village is built decades before (between 1041 and 1153). Forfice is considered the ancestor of Peveragno. The name derives from the particular shape of the valley, which forks in two narrower valleys due to an interpose of an offshoot of Bisalta ("Forfex" i.e. scissor). The villa was located about two kilometers far from Peveragno, in the Madonna dei Boschi village, and was probably built in order to control an important direct road in Provence (passing through Via Grima). There remain today only the ruins of the "castrum" (a fortress), part of the protection moat, the San Pietro chapel and the "Madonna del Borgato" sanctuary (a clear reference to the ancient village of Forfice).

Towards the end of 1200, on the downward trend of the nearby Forfice, it engages the rising star of Peveragno. Piperanium name appeared for the first time in a notarial deed dated 25 September 1299 (sale of a vineyard on the San Giorgio hill). Forfice, perhaps for the plague, or perhaps just because it was in a bad position, will be mentioned for the last time in a document of 1356. What is certain is that his lords moved to the new village, as shown by the effigy of a pillar home in Piazza Santa Maria.

At the time of its foundation, Peveragno with neighboring territories, was owned by the Bishop of Asti. Its name would derive from the Morozzo family of Pipa, dominating places since 1200. In 1369 it became property of the Marquis of Monferrato. In this period (1384) they were written the first municipal statutes, still visible today. In 1396 passed to Achaia, then (1419) to Savoia. With Savoia Peveragno shared all the vicissitudes that accompanied the State of Savoia until the creation of the Italy Kingdom. In 1500 the Inquisition spectrum: dozens of citizens, with the support of the Dominicans (ruins of the monastery are still visible in Piazza San Domenico), were burned at the stake by the terrible inquisitor Biagio de Berra.

In 1621 the Grimaldi lordship took over on Peveragno and Boves that, with different events, will govern Peveragno until the end of 1700. In 1744, during the war for the succession to the Austrian throne, an army of Gallo-Hispanic arrived in Piedmont and poses fire and sword territories surrounding Cuneo. The town, faithful to Savoia, rebelled against the enemy, and was looted three times. In 1800 a slow and inexorable period of population increase started, which brought the town to reach 7878 inhabitants in 1895, in opposition to a strong flow of emigration: thousands of people left, at least until the middle of 1900, to America and France.

Peveragno saw die, as all the rest of Italy, many of its citizens in the trenches of the First World War. To these victims were dedicated the war memorial and the Remembrance Avenue (In Via Vittorio Veneto): every plane tree of the avenue represents a citizen fell in that conflict.

The Second World War, unlike the first, saw the town, after the armistice of 1943, meet in the midst of conflict, suffering the Nazi-Fascist occupation. In the nearby Val Colla (Boves) began the Italian resistance (19 September 1943, before the Nazi retaliation on Boves) and numerous were the partisan bands who found refuge on Bisalta slopes. On Monday morning, 10 January 1944, market day, was put in place the most fierce retaliation Nazi-fascist in Peveragno: because of the finding of 3 German soldiers died, 30 unarmed men were taken and, in different ways, killed. Today in the town there is a square dedicated to this massacre (30 Martyrs Square, previously named Paschetta Square).

The fame of two citizens even crossed national boundaries: Major Pietro Toselli, fell heroically at Amba Alagi in 1895, at age 39; writer, journalist and playwright Vittorio Bersezio, author of dialect comedy "Le miserie 'd Monsù Travet". To these two illustrious citizens Peveragno erected two important monuments: one to Major Toselli, in the homonymous square of the town hall, it is made of bronze and was built by Ettore Ximenes; the other one to Vittorio Bersezio in S. Maria square, it is in marble and was built by the sculptor Leonardo Bistolfi. The old town of Peveragno is full of architectural and artistic evidences of the past, worth visiting and revalued.

It has ancient origins. Dates back to 1396, the first historical document when it is mentioned this fair, when Princes of Acaja, new owners of this land, who succeeded to the Bishopric of Asti, confirmed to respect, "omnibus et per omnia", all exemptions and concessions referred Peveragno where, there were the fact to keep the market on Monday and the Fair lasting three days. It is concluded that the birth of the Fair was before 1396 '. From an article by G.P. Magnino, researcher and local historian, we report the following notes: "Our Fair was always vital and active, ecc.", and now corresponds to an ethnographic exhibition, handcrafts and enogastronomic of typical local products, with their exposition on the 1st Monday in December in the historic centre of Peveragno.