Welcome back, guys!
Today we are in a historic place that was for the Waldensians a fortress of defense in the long age of struggle between 1400 and 1600, thanks to its strategic position: since it is located at the entrance of the valley of Angrogna, it gave the chance to keep the landscape below in control. This is Rocchamaneoud.
It is told that an event in particular happened between these rocks: in 1484 (or maybe in 1488) a local boy whose name was Peiret Revel defeated the most fearful soldier of the enemy army; that soldier was known as “il Nero di Mondovì” (“the black guy from Mondovì” – nb: Mondovì is a town near Cuneo), ‘cause he was big, strong and very bad!
The young Peiret, who had an amazing aim, managed, from the rock, to hit the giant by using his slingshot; the big bad man fell to the ground, all of the other soldiers got scared and the enemy army was stopped.
Some say that the young boy defeated the giant soldier by shooting an arrow.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter whether he used a slingshot or an arrow… Do you get the lesson? Never ever be bad to other people, even if you’re big and strong… sooner or later it might happen that you meet someone with a good aim!
How to get here:
from Provincial Road 161, between Torre Pellice and Luserna San Giovanni, at the roundabout take the road to Angrogna and follow the main road up to the branch locations in Bruere. Turn right and after 1.5 km you will arrive in the village of Malan Superiori. Turn right and continue for 500 m until the sign indicating a number of directions (including, Rocchamaneoud): in front of you there is a path down to the fields, follow him until the next sign that will lead you to the rocks.
Do you want to read the tale in Italian ?