Traversella: Rock Art, Trails and Mining History

Traversella brings together rock carvings and trails with traces of mining, mills and church construction. You can choose different focuses for your trip: an archaeological landscape, mining history or a circular route with a clearly stated length.

Rock Carvings and Trails

The Sentiero delle Anime starts in Traversella and is a self-guided trail to rock carvings. Along this route, between the Rifugio Piazza and the Piani di Cappia, there are numerous very ancient rock carvings dating from pre-Christian times. The Rifugio Bruno Piazza is on the Sentiero delle Anime and near the climbing area above Traversella.

The climbing area has 500 climbing routes across 21 sectors, including one sector for children. Two different themes therefore sit side by side here: a self-guided trail to rock art and a climbing area with a large number of routes and clearly named sectors.

Another rock art site is the Pera dij Cros on the Sentiero dei mufloni. The boulder has 119 rock carvings across an area of about 150 m². The Sentiero dei mufloni is a circular route that starts in Fondo and Talorno; the two hamlets have distinctive stone architecture. Here, the starting points and architecture add to the experience of the rock carvings.

Mining and Mill History

The Museo Mineralogico e delle Attrezzature della Miniera di Traversella displays more than 300 mineral samples as well as work equipment found in the mine. The collection thus presents minerals alongside mining equipment. Educational guided tours take visitors through the complex’s outdoor areas and the Mining Geopark. These include a section of the tunnel, the hoisting shaft and the machine room.

The museum is accessible to visitors with disabilities and has a tactile guide strip as well as an audio guide in Italian, English and Italian Sign Language (LIS). These specific facilities and languages provide practical information when planning your museum visit.

The history of the mills also reflects practical conditions in the area: in the 18th century, Traversella’s mills became more important because difficult transport made nearby milling facilities necessary. The Molino del Ponte stood near the Bersella stream in the Roncaglio area and consisted of two waterwheels in a single building.

Churches and Landscape

The parish church of Santa Croce in Traversella houses a wall organ built by F. Bossi in 1834. A church in Cantone di Pianavilla was built between 1818 and 1825. These details draw attention to different aspects of architectural history: a named instrument with a builder and date, and a time period for the church’s construction.

The landscape and views can also be described through specific locations. The narrow road from Traversella towards Fondo passes through a rugged, wild landscape and offers a beautiful view of Monte Marzo. At Carëtte, a rocky cliff at an altitude of 1,326 m offers a beautiful view of Cantone di Cappia.

Routes to Help Plan Your Trip

The Via dei Cantoni is a circular route of about 26 km, starting and ending in Traversella. If you sort routes by distance, this approximate figure provides a concrete reference point. The routes differ in the features described: the Via dei Cantoni is presented as a circular route with a stated length, while the Sentiero delle Anime is described as a self-guided trail to rock carvings.

Discover more destinations: Montanaro, San Gillio, Chiaverano, Ceresole Reale, Foglizzo, Ala Di Stura, Bardonecchia, Ceres

For the broader travel overview: Turin.