Balmuccia
Discovering Balmuccia, a Piemontese municipality with 111 inhabitants
Hello everyone, today we will talk about Balmuccia, a small Piemontese municipality located in the province of Vercelli. Balmuccia is famous for its picturesque location, nestled at the confluence of the Sermenza and Sesia rivers and surrounded by gentle mountains, including the Denti di Gavala.
Physical geography
To better understand how the area where Balmuccia is located formed, we need to travel back 60 million years ago to when the movements of the Earth's crust led to the formation of the Alps. These movements caused the uplift of the mantle peridotites, which are the fossil supervolcano of Valsesia that is thought to have erupted around 300 million years ago. Even today, traces of this explosion are visible in Balmuccia.
Origin of the name
The name Balmuccia comes from the Piemontese language and means "small cave", referring to a small cavity enclosed by the surrounding mountains.
History
Balmuccia has a long history, having been subject to the parish of Scopa until 1584, when it became an autonomous municipality.
Monuments and places of interest
Balmuccia is home to an ancient parish church dedicated to Saint Margaret, dating back to the 1500s, which only became a parish church in 1584. Rebuilt about a century later, the church has a single nave and inside, you can admire a painting depicting Margaret of Antiochia, a work by Antonio Olivazzi. There are also three choir paintings, also attributed to the artist, showing the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Souls in Purgatory. Balmuccia also has a social theater and a monument to the fallen.
The Social Theater
The Social Theater of Balmuccia was founded in 1877 by the society "Dilettanti filodrammatici di Balmuccia", and shortly after, thanks to the sale of shares, construction of the city theater began. It was inaugurated with great success in 1879, but after its golden age in the 1950s, the decline began, leading to its closure in the late 1960s. In 2004, a renovation project was launched, leading to its reopening in 2008.
Society
Demographic evolution
The population of Balmuccia, which was 397 inhabitants in 1961, has decreased over time, now standing at 111 inhabitants.
Culture
Cinema
Not everyone knows that Balmuccia was chosen as a location for some scenes in the film "Tiro al piccione" by director Giuliano Montaldo in 1961.
Anthropological geography
The municipality of Balmuccia also includes the hamlets of Guaifola and Dinelli. In Guaifola, there is the Oratory of the Saints Anthony the Abbot and Anthony of Padua, which houses paintings of Orgiazzi and Giovanni Avondo depicting episodes from the life of the saint. In Dinelli, there is a small sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine, where the festival of the same name is celebrated annually in July.
Economy
In the past, Balmuccia's economy was mainly based on artisanal activities such as blacksmithing and sawmilling. However, the only economic activity present today is a quarry for the extraction of stones in the Giavine Rossi locality.
Administration
As for administration, the municipality of Balmuccia is governed by Mayor Mario Papa.
Conclusions
Here is a brief overview of Balmuccia, a quiet and picturesque municipality characterized by its location among the mountains, which presents a unique atmosphere and antique charm. If you are looking for an ideal place to relax and unwind, this beautiful municipality in Piedmont can be your choice.
