San Germano Chisone

The name is linked to the cult of St. Germano, bishop of Auxerre, and to the nearby valley of Chisone. It is a municipality in the province of Turin, located in the valley of the river Chisone, near the gorge of Malanaggio at the foot of the valley of Risagliardo, a tributary of the Chisone. The municipality stretches between 436 and 1579 meters above sea level and the town's main center lies on a small hill, surrounded by several urban districts in an area covered by woods and pastures.
The area was inhabited since ancient times, around the year 1000 it belonged to the Countess Adelaide and then Abbey of Abbadia. In the XIII century the territory became a feud of the Savoy, that ceded the domain to various local noble families. For a long period the town was linked to the fate of the Waldensians, a population with a strong presence in the territory in the XVI century, followers of Peter Waldo of Lyons, who split from the Catholic Church and sheltered in the area in the XIII century. Devoted mainly to agriculture until the XIX century, the town gradually developed its industrial vocation. The local economy received a major boost with the extraction of graphite from the nearby mines, but today the accesses to these galleries have been walled. The municipal boundaries were assigned only in 1954.

Not to miss:

- the Catholic church, dating from the XII century, entitled to St. Germano. Restored and remodeled several times, it features a tower with a distinctive sundial.
- the Church of San Carlo Borromeo, built on project of the architect Buniva with the support of the Duke of Savoy, dates back to 1767. It presents a impressive outlined façade, surmounted by a tympanum.
- the original Waldensian temple, which dates back to 1711, ruined by an earthquake in the XIX century, it was rebuilt in 1890.
- the Waldensian Museum, opened in 1985, an agricultural exhibition, with costumes and artifacts related to the work in the fields.
- the Municipal Park which houses Villa Widemann, today seat of the Town Hall, a precious environment that preserves various species of trees and plants, that grow harmoniously and wisely placed. From here depart the trail that leads to Verdeacqua, that from the shores of the river Chisone reaches the basin of Villar Perosa. Here it is possible to observe numerous species of birds, flora and fauna.