Fountain at Pessinea, Old Wash House, and Sanctuary of the Madonna della Consolata

Site overview

This hamlet is the last in the town of Viù. It remains largely unchanged, maintaining the traditional pedestrian lanes that weave between the houses and the notable oven that once served the entire village. Until a few decades ago, the benal, barns with rye-straw roofs, could still be seen, although they have now been replaced by metal sheeting.

The distinctive stone fountain was built in 1880 and features four spouts and a striking central rosette carved in stone. It served as a domestic water supply, a livestock trough, and a wash house. The central rosette is the so-called “shepherd’s rosette” with six petals, an ancient symbol found among various peoples around the world, representing the sun.

A few minutes’ walk along a path takes you to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Consolata.

The original chapel was constructed between 1705 and 1710 by Giovanni Battista Giorgis of Forno as an ex-voto. Having relocated to Turin and established his wealth as a builder, Giorgis also designed the first chapel at Colle del Colombardo, the chapel at Forno, the steps at the parish church of Viù, and the presbytery with the high altar of Lemie’s parish church.

The Chapel of the Truc is dedicated to the Consolata, and the original canvas depicting the Virgin is now placed above the arch between the older and more recent parts of the building. The church later became the property of a family from Pessinea, and in 1830 it passed into the hands of a council composed of “the most notable landowners of the hamlet”. On the church’s entrance step, the date 1830 and “S. Iachino” are carved into a block of stone, probably reused when the chapel was enlarged with the circular structure that forms the current main building.

In 1870, the front portico was constructed. Subsequently, in 1898, the marble altar created by sculptor Gannio was installed, and the church was embellished by Rector Father Giovanni Riva.