Buttigliera Alta

Buttigliera Alta is a small village of approximately 6800 inhabitants located about 25 km from Turin in the Susa valley in Piemont. Primarily a residential community, it is best known for the Le Fronde Golf Club. It is conveniently located to the highway going from Turin to Frejus (France).

It is located very close to Avigliana, of which it once was a part. It first became an independent township on April 26, 1619 when Carron Giovanni received the feud of Buttigliera, Uriola, and Case Nicola - as well as the title of Count - from the Duke Carlo Emmanuele I.

From that point in time the history of Buttigliera was intimately tied with the history of the Carron family until the last of the Carrons, Carron Clementina, died in April 1912.

In the first half of 1890 Giuliano Vandel identified Buttigliera as the location for his new factory, which he built lower in the valley from the original Buttigliera. This new section, incorporated in 1891, was called Ferriera, after the town of La Ferriere Sous Jougne, from where Vandel originated.

In the 20th century, the FIAT group established one of its metallurgical factories in Ferriera.

In the late 1960's and 1970's, during a period of social upheaval in Italy, Buttigliera Alta was a safe haven for many of the economic and political elite of Turin. With this in mind, the exclusive "Le Fronde" Residential Complex was established, located next to the golf club. Here, key FIAT managers and other executives and professionals found a safe place to live with their families.

From Buttigliera, one can see the Monastery of San Michele, which is Piemont's symbol and can be clearly seen from high points in Turin. It is located at the entrance to the Susa Valley.

Another site worthy of visiting is the preceptory of Sant'Antonio di Ranverso. The church in this religiuos complex goes back to 1121. The complex itself includes amongst other things a flour mill which the monks received on 7. June 1188 from Umberto III of Moriana Savoia. Along with the mill, he also granted a forest. Even before that, at this site there was also a hospital. Every year, a "Living Nativity Scene" is enacted here.