Gambasca
Gambasca: discovering a small Piedmontese town
Welcome to Gambasca, a small town of 348 inhabitants located in the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont. The name comes from the Piedmontese and Occitan languages and, as you will discover on our journey to discover this location, the area is rich in history, culture and traditions.
Physical geography
Located on the right orographic side of the Po River, Gambasca boasts a wonderful landscape. From the town you can admire Mount Monbracco, whose summit rises to 1307 meters above sea level, and the Langhe hills. In addition, the Po Valley completes the panorama and adds further spectacularity to the place.
History
The history of Gambasca is very interesting and takes us back to the past. The territory was owned by the Marquises of Saluzzo, who in 1138 donated a chestnut grove to the nearby Santa Maria di Staffarda Abbey. Later, it was the nuns of the Rifreddo monastery who managed the territory, so that the mother abbess obtained the title of Countess of Gambasca. The power of the monastery was confirmed by the abbess-countess Mercia de' Pugneti in 1434 with the granting of Statutes to the lands of Gambasca and Rifreddo.
In 1621, the lands were transferred by the community of Gambasca, but in 1657 they were taken from the peasants by the House of Savoy, which felt the owner of the place and assigned them to the noble Francesco Havard de Senantes with the title of Marquis of Gambasca. Later, the Isnardi of Caraglio and, subsequently, the Marquis Luigi Coardi Bagnasco di Carpeneto, possessed the territory.
Between 1928 and 1946, following a Royal Decree, Gambasca was administratively united with the nearby municipality of Martiniana Po, becoming a fraction. Autonomy was regained after the end of the Second World War.
The Church of San Sebastiano and the ancient hamlets
The center of the town houses the parish of San Sebastiano, whose construction dates back to 1492. In ancient times, the place was a chapel and was consecrated by the Bishop of Turin in 1497.
Gambasca is also characterized by numerous ancient hamlets, both located in the mountains and downstream of the central village. Many of these hamlets are mostly uninhabited and some are even abandoned.
Some of them are meire isolated, used in ancient times as a summer dwelling by peasants, while others have a typical horseshoe shape with large arches and imposing wooden doors. The arrangement of the hamlets in a horseshoe shape also served as a defense.
The main hamlets present in the territory of Gambasca are: Carpeneti, Giordana, Mulino, Roggero, Nari, Ciafrè Nari, Brich d'Tumassin, Terbus, Giusiana, Free and Marchetti, Rittana and Costanza, Castinel, Brich Genre, Tomatis and Billia, Brignola, Para and Barra, Santa Lucia and San Rocco.
Picat, Poulan, Baile, Lantermin, Lo del Ruè, Ruà Pra Bonino are instead the names of other small hamlets of the town.
Conclusions
In this short journey to discover Gambasca, we have had the opportunity to discover a location that boasts a very interesting history and a charming landscape. The area is rich in ancient hamlets and traditions, and we recommend exploring all the hamlets in the territory of Gambasca. Come visit Gambasca and discover all the beauties that this location has to offer!
