Rollieres: Trails and Cultural History

Rollieres offers several points of interest to help you plan your trip: a route described along old roads, historic landmarks and the designated fishing area on the Torrente Ripa. If you are looking for a hotel, you can first consider which of these interests you want to shape your stay. The place names and dates help put the topics into context and prioritize your interests for the trip.

Trails around Rollieres

The route known as the “sentiero balcone” follows old roads and connects Rollieres with Sauze di Cesana. It then passes through Grangesises, Bessen Haut and Bessen Bass to the Valle Argentera, and continues to the neighboring municipalities of Cesana and Sestriere. This sequence makes it possible to follow the route as a connection between several named places. Learning about the route gives you specific stops as well as an idea of how it is described.

Another named connection is the Strada Reale di Francia. It connects Sauze di Cesana with Rollieres and the three hamlets of Champlas; some sections are part of the provincial road. The Strada Reale di Francia was designed by Napoleon’s engineers along the route of an older road. Both descriptions mention Rollieres and Sauze di Cesana, but their other stops differ: the sentiero balcone passes through Grangesises, Bessen Haut and Bessen Bass to the Valle Argentera, while the Strada Reale di Francia includes the three hamlets of Champlas. Comparing them helps distinguish the routes by their stops.

Church and Local History

The parish church of SS. Pietro e Paolo in Rollieres was built in 1816 and consecrated in 1818. The dates refer to two different stages: 1816 marks its construction, and 1818 its consecration. The present building stands on the site of an older chapel dedicated to the same saints. The present church and an earlier place of worship are therefore connected by their location and dedication. To understand the chronology, it is helpful to consider the construction year and the consecration year separately, rather than treating them as the same phase.

Other historic landmarks include Rollieres’ bread ovens and fountains. The historic bread ovens have been restored to their former glory. In the past, bread was baked in them once a month during the last quarter of the moon, a period known as “luna dura.” The baking tradition links a specific use to a named point in the lunar cycle. The fountains, meanwhile, have imposing stone basins. Rollieres thus brings together different aspects of local history: the parish church and its predecessor chapel, the restored ovens and their former use, and the stone fountain basins.

The Fishing Area on the Torrente Ripa

The fishing area is also described with precise boundaries. The designated fishing reserve covers the lower stretch of the Torrente Ripa, from the Rollieres bridgehead to the center of Cesana Torinese. Within the Cesana fishing reserve, the stretch from the Rollieres bridgehead to the Bousson bridgehead is a no-kill zone. A fishing permit is required for the Cesana fishing reserve. This distinguishes the boundaries of the designated lower stretch, the no-kill section and the permit requirement. If fishing is part of your trip plans, check the applicable zone rules and current fishing permit requirements in advance.

Discover more destinations: San Pietro Val Lemina, Albiano D’ivrea, Cantalupa, Pino Torinese, San Giuseppe, Pralormo, Romano Canavese, Front.

For the broader travel overview: Turin.