On the origins of the town's name there is a disagreement: for some historians it derives from the Latin "Rubus (blackberry) while for others from" roa"(wheel) and ax, the emblems present also on the municipality's coat of arms
A mountain village in the province of Cuneo, it is surrounded by approx. fifty villages and districts distributed between 700 and 2450 meters above sea level and it is washed by the river Gesso, Roaschia is located in middle of the valley, surrounded by the mountains and small groups of houses, including Robilante, Roccavione, Valdieri, Vernante and Entracque. Away from the clamor of the big city, Roaschia offers a quiet and healthy ambience and tasty traditional dishes. The expert cave explorers are interesting in the nearby caverns and their underground accesses, while trekkers explore the walking trails of the area and of the Bec of Orèl.
The first settlement has ancient origins and probably the village already existed around the XII century. It was mentioned in historical documents since 1198 and belonged to the Abbey of Pedona for a long period and was disputed by the Marquis of Saluzzo. Included in the district of Cuneo, it was at first under the domain of the Anjou and later under the Savoy. In the second half of the XVII century the Savoy assigned Roaschia to the Birago Family. Until the XVIII century it was adversary of Roccavione for reasons relating to control of the territory. In 1928 the two towns were united and in 1946 Roaschia and Roccavione regained their separate autonomy.
Not to miss:
- the Parish of St. Dalmazzo, where the Abbey of Pedona was built on the Saint's tomb.
- the source Dragonera, a picturesque fountain from which springs a clear mineral water. The town is reachable through a path in green.
- the caves and tunnels carved by the water of the underground rivers, like Barma and beautiful caves of the Bandito, from which, in the past, gold was extracted. In these caverns were also found the remains of a cave bear, extinct 15,000 years ago and a knife from the first period of the Iron Age.