Sambuco

The sundials of Sambuco, many old stone houses are decorated with old and modern sundials.

This village also includes a few inhabited groups of houses situated at the foot of mount Bersaio and Nebius. The name might be traceable back to the elder tree (sambuco) which is present in this area, or else to the sambuca, the triangular shaped shepherds harp. The language of this village is Occitan, and its traditions and history are very ancient. In its history appear the Marquises of Saluzzo, the Anjou and the Savoy. The Parrocchiale di Santa Maria church, built on a rocky spur, is an example of Baroque style. The Cappella di San Giuliano (XII century), built inside the cemetery, presents single lancet windows in tufaceous stone. Of considerable interest are: the Cappella di San Lorenzo in the hamlet of Moriglione and the Cappella di Sant'Anna in the hamlet of Chiardoletta. In the high pastures you can still find stone houses with a barrel vault entirely covered with sod, called las trunas, to which was often added a barn that served as a stable and hayloft and that used to be a seasonal dwelling for the peasant shepherds in the old days.