Villarbasse is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about west of Turin.
Villarbasse borders the following municipalities: Rivoli, Rosta, Reano, Rivalta di Torino, and Sangano.
It was the seat of the last application of capital punishment in Italy on March 4, 1947, following the Villarbasse massacre.
The territory of the Municipality of Villarbasse
The territory of the Municipality of Villarbasse occupies a predominantly hilly area characterized by slightly inclined slopes that delineate flat areas of narrow and elongated shape. This is an area entirely enclosed in the morainic hills of Rivoli-Avigliana. The only permanent waterway is the Sangone stream which, to the south, marks the boundary with Sangano and Bruino. While to the north a series of ridges mark the territory with Rosta. To the west is the border with Reano while to the east are found Rivalta and Rivoli.
History and place name
The name Villarbasse (until the 19th century Villar di Basse or in Latin Villaro Bassiorum) is composed of Villar, indicating in Piedmont and in the Occitan area a sparse settlement and the determinative Basse, indicating in northern Italy, topographically depressed areas, often with stagnation of water. [Gianmario Raimondi – La toponomastica – Elementi di metodo. Stampatori, 2003.]
The nucleus of the town is divided into Palassoglio (“Little Palace”, under the jurisdiction of the commendatory abbots of San Solutore) and Carré (“Quadrated”, under the jurisdiction of the lay feudatories). The hamlets of Corbiglia (Curtis Vetula, “Old Manor”) and Roncaglia were once indicated as "Villar di Mezzo" (Halfway Hamlets).
The first traces of human presence are the Neolithic incisions on the erratic boulders.
Some excavations carried out during the nineteenth century, especially around Borgata Corbiglia, brought to light tombstones, weapons, vases and furnishings dating back to Roman times. Another possible settlement (near the church of San Martino) has left traces in the tombstone now visible on the facade of the Town Hall. At the time of foundation (1006) of the Abbey of San Solutore, some estates, included in the present territory of Villarbasse, are listed among the assets received as a donation by Gezone, bishop of Turin. Corbiglia, instead, was a possession of the Abbey of San Michele (Sacra).
In 1250Villarbasse became a municipality, with interests distinct from those of the Abbey of San Solutore.
Far from the main roads of communication, the town was not subjected to major military events: but there is evidence of fires and looting by the French and Spanish, especially in the seventeenth century. In the following centuries Villarbasse, due to its pleasant and easy to reach position, was often chosen as a holiday residence by the noble families of Turin serving the House of Savoy.
The water system of the town is very old: the three public lavatories of medieval origin, called "Corni" (Horns) in which the waters of the Val Lesana flow, are also characteristic.
The hamlets
Borgata Corbiglia (aggregated in 1956 from Rosta)
The former Curtis Vetula, probably represents the oldest settlement in the territory. In the nineteenth century, following a redevelopment, stretches of walls, coins of Caesar Augustus and Antoninus Pius, who died in 161 AD (one of which in silver), tombs (as many as 17 - partly in rough stone, partly in masonry containing urns, lamps, etc.), weapons and many other objects were found.
Borgata Roncaglia (aggregated in 1890 from Rivalta) preserves the very tiny, historical elementary school and the well with adjacent oven. A ladder allows access to a room above the oven that was given to the poorest family of the hamlet so that in winter they could stay warm for free.
Historical buildings
Torrazzo (The Old Tower) 13th century fortified building, symbol of the town, once surrounded by a wide moat.
Around 1430, Amedeo di Chignin, Lord of Villarbasse, was invested with the “Palazzo Antico” (The Old Palace, that is the Torrazzo) with its adjacent properties and, in the years 1434 ÷ 1436, built the more comfortable Palazzo Nuovo (The New Palace), using the bastion to the east that delimited the square of village between the moat and the bastion itself, nowadays a private garden. The Old Tower gained popularity in 1884 when the authoritative local scholar Ferdinando Rondolino, described it in the novel "The Court of Achaia".