Fenestrelle

Fenestrelle is an ancient trading–post on the “Via delle Gallie”. It used to be a “Finis terrae” – a borderland at the extreme tip of the Cozio kingdom of the Cozii who were allies of Rome – and was the village of the “piccole finestre”, or “little windows”: When these were opened, there was a municipal tax on them. The village lies in Occitan territory, in the heart of the Chisone valley, in the shadow of the imposing San Carlo Fort built by Vittorio Amedeo II to keep the French permanently at bay.

The imposing fortress literally forms a vertical barricade across the valley, from the slopes of the Orsiera to the Chisone river, and is today excellently equipped for tourist visits and as a venue for shows, concerts and other events. Another great feature of Fenestrelle, on the road to the Finestre pass, is the Pra Catinat Centro di Soggiorno in the Orsiera park. This was formerly the Agnelli Sanatorium, and is a European model for environmental study in the centre of a flourishing mountain area - a favourite destination for trekkers. From the Jouglard “bergerie” and the Selleries mountain refuge, you go up to the Ciardonnet lake at the foot of the Orsiera, or to the enchanting Manica ponds, with the Cristalliera peak (the highest peak in the nature park) towering above them.

The village of Fenestrelle still has its medieval charm: the ancient octagonal bell tower of the Jesuit church, and the 19th century organ in the parish church of Saint Louis are worth a visit, as is the lovely seventeenth-century Chambons chapel and the old Saint Just Priory church on the green Mentouilles plain (which, as its name suggests, is known for the mint herb that grows there). Fenestrelle specialities include, apart from the typical women’s folk costume, the delicious “gofri” – fritters typical of the area.

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