Villafalletto
The story of Villafalletto
Hello friends, today I will talk about Villafalletto, a small municipality located on the right bank of the Maira river in Piedmont, Italy. Villafalletto is known primarily for being the birthplace of Bartolomeo Vanzetti, an Italian immigrant who became an anarchist during the Great Depression in America. Along with his friend Nicola Sacco, Bartolomeo was unjustly sentenced to the electric chair and executed in 1927 in Charlestown prison (Massachusetts). Today, a commemorative plaque "apostle of faith paid with his life for his love of the humble", managed by the Sacco and Vanzetti Committee, is present on the walls of the house where Bartolomeo was born.
The story of Villafalletto continues
Villafalletto has very ancient origins, dating back to the Roman era where several archaeological findings can be found such as tombs, inscriptions and coins with the effigy of Emperor Nero. During the medieval period, the village is mentioned in a document regarding the transfer of ownership of the fiefdom of "Villa" from the vassal of Roggiero count of Auriate to the Marquis Aleramo of Savona. Later, the fiefdom was purchased by Marquis Manfredo I of Saluzzo in 1163 and the town was mentioned again. In 1322, Villafalletto was sold to the Marquis of Carretto who would give it to the Piedmontese family of Falletti, Marquis of Barolo, who would hold it as counts for almost 500 years.
Under the generosity of the Falletti, the community managed to equip itself with the first statutes in 1461, and the town remained at peace until 1487, when it was struck by the war with the Marquisate of Saluzzo. The city was occupied several times again, but thanks to the mediation of the last Count, Carlo Tancredi Falletti, Villafalletto was spared from plundering.
Monuments and places of interest
If you want to visit Villafalletto, do not miss the Churches of Saints Peter and Paul, the Church of San Giovanni Decollato and the Oratory of the Confraternity of the Gonfalone.
The Society
The population of Villafalletto is about 2915 inhabitants. According to the data of the National Institute of Statistics as of December 31, 2017, there are 276 foreign residents, mainly of Romanian, Albanian and Indian nationality.
Infrastructure and transport
The Villafalletto Station on the Savigliano-Saluzzo-Cuneo railway lines, operational since 1892, was closed in 2003.
And that's all for Villafalletto, a small town with a great history. If you have the opportunity to visit it, do not hesitate to do so, you will discover a place full of charm and interesting situations. See you soon!
