Page 13 - Guida di Oulx

th
(14 -16 ), the retable altar, the choir and the carved lectern. Restoration took place since
th cent.
2000, including work on the roof, the interior and exterior frescoes and the bell tower.
In the vicinity you can see two massive stone fountains that show the dates of installation: in
Via Roma there is the rectangular tank fountain of 1524, decorated with hanging arches and a
richly carved octagonal column. This fountain has been reproduced and adorns the entrance to
the Medieval Castle in Turin. In San Rocco square you can instead admire the octagonal fountain
of 1525.
The Eco-museum Columban Romean is an important testimony to the work of the ancient
culture and where you can visit the Museum of the Treasury, furniture, books and vestments, the
water mill, stone quarry, the ice house, the smoke sauna, the charcoal furnace, the lime kiln, the
oven and the recently restored Hotel Dieu (a former coaching inn).
There are many villages in the surrounding area. Oulme is a continuation of Salbertrand and

is densely populated. Here you can admire the recently restored splendid 16 th cent. frescos in the
chapel of the Annunciation. There are also San Romano, Rival and Plan which have been joined
in recent years with many buildings inhabited by families and holiday makers. Towards the Forts
of Pramand and Jafferau there is the hamlet of Fenil, home to a stronghold dismantled after
the war, a colony of the Maria Ausiliatrice of Turin and craftsmen; Combe village, located in a
particular hollow sheltered from the wind and sun is busy in summer; the hamlet Moncellier with
the chapel of St. Hippolytus and finally the hamlet Frenée (chapel of St. Anne) and Balp, now
uninhabited.
Eclause (1382m), still inhabited, is located in a splendid panoramic position. The beautiful Roma-
nesque bell tower of the chapel dedicated to St. Pancras and Sebastian (1477) stands out amongst
the traditional stone roofs. On the opposite side is in the village Seu 1770m from where you can
enjoy a wide view. The chapel (Saints Cosmas and Damian) and old stone houses are inserted
perfectly into the green of the Park. Following the curves of the Serre Voute on the left you can
see the hamlet of Deveys.
On the right bank of the Susa Valley, the Natural Park of the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand was
established in 1980; 3,775 hectares of which 800 of forest. In the lower part deciduous trees are
widespread while between 1300m and 1800m the white fir and spruce are present (rare in the
Western Alps) as well as pine, larch and high altitude pastures. There is also a rich fauna: in the
park you hear the drumming of the woodpecker and the lure of the metallic black woodpecker,
you can encounter squirrels, foxes, marmots, hares and stoats. The park also houses nesting birds
such as ptarmigan and grouse which together are the symbol of alpine avifauna.
The nutcracker is present thanks to the pine trees, from which it feeds on pine nuts. You can also
find red deer, chamois, roe deer and wild boar. The wolf has made its reappearance in 1997 and
by which controls the balance the excessive numbers of deer. The Parco del Gran Bosco di Salber-
trand is now part of The Hautes Alpes Protected Area, which includes some parks of Valle di Susa,
Val Chisone and Val Sangone. The Park also runs the ‘Eco-museum Columban Romean’ taking
care of guided visits and related publicity.
Introduction Salbertrand faisait partie du Saint-Empire romain germanique. Son nom apparaît pour la

première fois dans un diplôme impérial daté du 31 juillet 1001, sous la forme ‘Sala Bertae‘ (Bourg
de Berta). À partir de ce moment-là, ce fut un fief des comtes de Turin et des marquis de Suse, et
ses vicissitudes furent liées aux événements historiques de la vallée de Suse, qui passa des mains
des comtes Sabaudi à celles du Dauphiné puis à celles de la maison de Savoie. Il faut citer la ba-
taille du pont de Salbertrand (lieu-dit Chénébières) qui vit s’affronter en 1689 les Vaudois et les
troupes françaises. Ces dernières ne réussirent pas à interrompre le retour des Vaudois en Suisse,
vers les vallées du Cluson et du Pellice.
L’église paroissiale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. On trouve sa trace en 1057, quand le marquis Othon
de Savoie et sa femme la comtesse Adélaïde de Suse la donnèrent à la prévôté d’Oulx. Reconstruite
de 1506 à 1536 en style gothique, elle conserve tout de même des éléments romans. L’extérieur
est caractérisé par son magnifique protiro, unique en son genre, par son riche portail comportant
des éléments romans lombards et franco-dauphinois, par sa porte en noyer massif et par son
clocher de style roman érigé entre 1739 et 1741. La lunette du portail est décorée d’une Mise au
tombeau qui porte les coups des hallebardes témoignant des guerres de religion. À l’intérieur,
les éléments les plus significatifs sont les chapiteaux, tous différents, les arcs gothiques, les
précieuses fresques (XIV-XVI sièc. ), le retable de l’autel, le chœur et le pupitre sculptés. L’église a été
restaurée, du toit de la sacristie aux fresques intérieures et extérieures, en passant par le clocher.