Bracchiello
The story of Bracchiello
Bracchiello is a small hamlet in Ceres, an Italian municipality located in the Piedmont region. In the 14th century, it was known as "Bracello" in ancient scrolls, and it is still pronounced in the local dialect as "Bracèl" today. Bracchiello is considered one of the villages of Lanzo Valleys that has best preserved its ancient appearance.
There is little information about the origin of the name of this village. It could derive from an anonymous Lombard village or from the Barisello brothers, who in 1266 were granted part of the iron mines in the Ala valley. At that time, Bracchiello was an active area in the mining industry and the related craft trades, such as blacksmiths, who were so highly regarded that they were prohibited from leaving the Duchy of Savoy.
Craftsmen and nobility
The Duke was jealous of his craftsmen and spared no means to keep them at home. The most skilled and industrious craftsmen could easily aspire to titles of nobility and create a coat of arms that many families still maintain in memory of past generations.
In this small village in Piedmont, in 1430, two brothers Marchisio, natives of Ala, settle and thrive. Later we find Giacomo Marchisio, called Poma (1540) and Giacomo de Ysabel, called Zapej (1451). However, the Poma, Curti, Vallò, Bonino, and de Vayry families clearly prevail. In 1445 and subsequent years, they paid an annual tax for housing and mill accommodation.
Mining industry and Stura river
On the right bank of the Stura, near the "Ponte delle Scale" which was destroyed by a flood in 1665, a village called Pertus was founded in the late 1200s, where the ovens for smelting minerals (iron and silver) obtained from the Croisiasse valley were located, so named probably after the "Crosii" (mines) opened in the Middle Ages for the exploitation of local mineral resources.
The mule track and the irrigation canal
In the Croisiasse valley, there are still testimonies of the ingenious industriousness of the ancient inhabitants of Bracchiello, such as the mule track and some dry-stone walls, embankments of an irrigation canal that, taking water from the Rio Croisiasse, intersected the mule track itself at a still visible point and continued with a daring path through rocky slopes.
The canal, supplied by the Rio Croisiasse, irrigated the south-facing lands, which, not having large waterways nearby, particularly needed such additional water contribution in the driest periods. About halfway between Bracchiello and Chiampernotto, at the beginning of the Croisiasse valley, the canal branched off from the mule track to continue its course towards the valley.
Conclusion
Bracchiello is a hamlet deeply rooted in the history of Piedmont. Thanks to its natural beauty, the area attracts tourists from all over the world. However, Bracchiello has remained an authentic place, where local culture and traditional craftsmanship still thrive today. If you want to visit an authentic and historic hamlet, Bracchiello is definitely worth a visit.
