Champlas Du Col
Champlas du Col: a fraction of Sestriere
Have you ever heard of Champlas du Col? It is a fraction of the municipality of Sestriere, in Piedmont. This small mountain village is located on the southern slope of Mount Fraiteve, just 3 km from Sestriere. The village is crossed by the SP23, on which the Cesana-Sestriere Hill Climb is held.
The history of Champlas du Col
If you are passionate about history, you will know that Champlas du Col was an independent municipality until 1928, when it was aggregated to Cesana Torinese. Later, in 1934, with the creation of Sestriere on the Colle del Sestriere above Champlas, the village became a fraction of Sestriere.
The culture of Champlas du Col
But let's get to the most interesting part: the culture of Champlas du Col. Here, in fact, you can admire some artistic treasures of great value.
The Church of Antonio Abate
The church of Champlas du Col is dedicated to Antonio Abate. Built in 1672, it has a simple gabled facade, surmounted by a small bell tower, in which a stone portal with a semicircular arch opens. The interior has a single nave covered by a lunette barrel vault and ended by a semicircular apse with a barrel vault; inside the apse, you can admire the beautiful wooden altarpiece with fluted columns and surmounted by a broken pediment inside which an aedicule is inserted. A wooden choir is present in the counter-facade. The internal walls, plastered and painted, have a simple and repetitive 19th-century decoration.
The Chapel of San Rocco
Another artistic treasure of Champlas du Col is represented by the chapel of San Rocco, which was already existing in 1660. The chapel stands isolated surrounded by pastures, in the fraction of Champlas du Col in Sestriere. The facade is profiled in a simple gabled shape and the roof covering with two sloping sides, with a lose mantle, protrudes in front to protect the entrance. All the openings are framed by a slightly projecting plastered frame. The small "sail" bell tower emerges from the roof axis with respect to the facade. Internally, the building develops with a single nave plan.
The Carnival of Champlas du Col
But the most curious tradition that you can still breathe in Champlas du Col is that of the Carnival. It is an ancient annual event, considered as a fertility rite. It celebrated the return of spring after the long months of mountain winter. Someone embodied the Carnaval, a character who lives opulently, and another Lent, a representation of penance. At the end of the process that opposes these two protagonists, Lent will live and Carnaval will die.
A masked procession composed of typical characters of mountain carnivals went to Sestriere, Sauze di Cesana, Champlas Janvier, Rollieres, ... From the testimonies of Celestino Beraudon and Alessandro Mallen about the representation of the Carnival: '' "... The last Carnivals were held in Champlas du Col in the years 1946-1947. All the costumes were sewn by the women of the village, during the long winter vigils, while the hats were made, with great patience, by the most skilled artisans."
Conclusions
In short, Champlas du Col is a small hidden treasure in the metropolitan city of Turin. A fraction of Sestriere that encloses a great history and a rich culture. It is worth taking a tour of this mountain village to admire its artistic beauties and to breathe the magical atmosphere of its Carnival.
