PIEDMONT CHRONICLE - L'Arvista Piemontèisa

Castelmagno, an Occitan village, is the highest Commune of Val Grana (Cozie Alps), comprising Valle Stura di Demonte and Val Maira. It actually includes four hamlets of which Campomolino is the principal one. Its overall history is connected with Turin, Cuneo and the Aleramici family; during the 10 century the valley fell under the rule of marquis of Saluzzo until the beginning of the 14 century when in 1382 it became part of the Savoy state. After a temporary return to the marquisate under Ludovico II, in 1538 the territory passed to France until the treaty of Lyon in 1601.

It was annexed again to France under Napoleon and given back to the Kingdom of Savoy in 1815 after the Congress of Vienna.
Its name comes from a square-shaped, fortified structure with corner towers in the hamlet of Colletto (other interpretations, instead, derive it from the name of the sanctuary of San Magno, erected, according to some sources, in memory of a Roman soldier martyred on the surrounding mountains or to commemorate the emperor Charlemagne). A small votive altar dedicated to Mars, still visible embedded in the back wall of the sanctuary (elevation 5.777 feet ), demonstrates the Roman presence in this area.
Castelmagno is also the name of a semi-hard cheese, erborinato (with greenish mold strains) and seasoned, produced from raw cow’s milk with an addition of small quantities of sheep’s or goat’s milk. Its aging takes between 2-5 or 6 months in naturally cool and humid caves. Cylinder shaped, with flat surfaces, itsdiameter may vary from 6 to 10 inches with a height of 5 to 8 inches and a weight ranging from 4 to 15 pounds.
The legend goes that the precious cheese was served on the table of the emperor Charlemagne. It seems that at first sight he tasted it only after removing the green mold (erborinatura) produced by the long seasoning. Finally, after convincing himself to taste it in its wholeness, he fell in love with it to the point of requesting it among his dishes.
But this is a legend. The historical information about the valley dates back to the 12 century; the first document that confirms the local dairy production is an arbitration judgment of 1277 regarding the life tenancy of some pastures of the Grange Martini in the Comba di Nardona, on the boundary between Castelmagno and Celle Macra. The marquis of Saluzzo ruled that the commune of Celle would maintain the property of the pastures but that the inhabitants of Castelmagno could use them. But at the same time he claimed an annual rent to be paid in wheels of cheese rather than money.
In the 13 century, according to another legend, the ownership of some wheels of Castelmagno became the pretext for a war between Cuneo and Saluzzo that lasted - the story goes – 30 years, one for each wheel of cheese disputed.
Five centuries later, in 1722, Vittorio Amedeo II di Savoia decreed by royal charter the “annuity of 66 lire and 10 soldi and the privilege of nine rubbi of cheese (179 pounds) in favour of Renato Ignazio Domenico De Morri, landowner of the village.
More recently, during the 1800s, Castelmagno cheese was already present on the menus of the most renowned European restaurants. However until the 1970s it was almost unknown to the general public, that began appreciating it only at the beginning of the 1980s.
The production of Castelmagno cheese (Denomination of Protected Origin since 1996) is now restricted to three communes of the Upper Valle Grana: Castelmagno, Monterosso Grana and Pradleves, where the modern dairy, associated with the Consortium for its protection, is located.
The present 12 producers make about 6,000-7,000 wheels annually, requested from all over Italy and by the most exclusive restaurants in the world.
In 2002 , the jury of the World Championship Cheese Contest that took place at Madison, Wisconsin, named it the number one cheese among the category “Open Class Hard Cheeses”.
A brief mention of the famous sanctuary dedicated to San Magno, patron of cattle, a hero of the mythical Tebea Legion (or according to other sources a monk of German origin or a disciple of San Dalmazzo). The plan of the present church, with its characteristic portico, dates back to the 18 century and encompasses constructions of the 15 and 16 century. San Magno’s feast day on Aug. 19 is attended every year by shepherds, margari (cow breeders) and people from the plains and adjoining valleys. The sanctuary is also a stage of the GTA (Great Alps Traverse), a trekking itinerary at regional Piedmontese level organized through a network of trails and intermediate overnight locations.

Valeria Calabrese
(translated by Ernesto R Milani)