Heritage: Pré-Saint-Didier

In the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, during the construction of the national road between Morgex and Pré Saint Didier, the men of La Thuile and those of Courmayeur worked side by side in corvées (each for four days, which turned into eight if one possessed a mule), but an ancestral rivalry continuously pushed them to compete against each other’s capacities. They finally decided to let two champions compete against each other in order to establish, based on the result of the match, which town was the strongest.
In those years a woman with extraordinary strength lived in La Thuile. Her nickname was Trifolla: the townspeople unanimously chose her to face the test.
At this point the townspeople of Courmayeur agreed that the match between one of their male champions and a representative of the weaker sex, whatever the outcome, would have embarassed them; therefore they decided to make one of their women compete against Trifolla. They trained her very hard even if she did not have the same build or strength as her opponent. The young girl, whose nickname was Mezola, was taught fencing and boxing in order to learn a few ploys that would allow her to beat her opponent.
The match took place at Pré Saint Didier. In the square of the church filled with people, the two women were placed five meters away from each other: the winner was the one who was able to throw the opponent to the ground. The losers would then have to treat fifty townspeople to a good lunch.
At the starting bell, Trifolla threw herself against her opponent, ready to grab her in a strong grip. But Mezola deftly placed her elbow underneath Trifolla’s chin and, tripping her up, threw her to the ground.
Not believing in what they saw, the fans of La Thuile claimed a new match: they lost a lunch, now they wanted to bet on a dinner; Mezola accepted. Once again her opponent threw herself on top of Mezola with all her giant weight, this time squeezing her between her arms. But, remembering all her lessons, Mezola moved with such agility that, rolling on the floor together with her opponent, she was able to land on top of her.
The show ended with a delicious dinner, satisfying both parties. And the records were established: strength for La Thuile and agility for Courmayeur.

Based on: “Il fiore del leggendario valdostano” (The Flower of the Legendary Valdostan) by Tersilla Gatto Chanu Edizioni Emme/Torino (publishers)

Ogni anno il santo patrono si festeggia nei comuni e nei villaggi della Valdigne con una manifestazione particolare, la “Badoche”, le cui origini paiono risalire ai riti propiziatori celebrati presso i Celti.

La tradizione vuole che la Badoche sia nata a La Salle, per poi diffondersi anche nelle altre località.
Protagonisti della festa sono i giovani scapoli che organizzano un ballo collettivo sulla piazza del paese. Alcuni giorni prima, i giovani della Badoche si riuniscono e designano il “capo badocher”, il quale insieme con la sua compagna, la “badochère”, dirigerà la festa.
Alla vigilia la coppia, nei vestiti tradizionali, guida di casa in casa il piccolo corteo accompagnato dai suonatori di fisarmonica, per annunciare l’evento e raccogliere offerte che aiutino a sostenere le spese per la festa. L’insegna del “badocher” è la cosiddetta “alabarda”, un bastone a tre punte coronato di fiori e ornato di nastri di seta multicolori, mentre per la questua si presenta un piatto, anch’esso decorato da fiori e nastri, pieno di dolciumi e di sigarette da offrire in cambio dell’obolo.

Nella piazza dove avrà luogo il ballo vengono issati otto pini abbattuti qualche giorno prima dai “badochers”.

Il giorno della festa patronale l’allegra brigata della “Badoche” e i suonatori fanno il loro ingresso nella piazza all’uscita della messa: le danze sono aperte dal “capo badocher” e dalla sua compagna, che successivamente inviteranno gli altri “badochers”, le autorità, le coppie di giovani provenienti dai villaggi vicini, i coscritti e ogni categoria di persone e di lavoratori, secondo una consuetudine tramandata dalla tradizione orale.
Il gran ballo riprende nel pomeriggio, accompagnato da generose mescite di vino, e si conclude a sera tarda.
Il gruppo folkloristico “Les Sallereins” raccoglie nel suo repertorio le danze tradizionali della “Badoche” di La Salle.
La “Badoche” è una tradizione che si festeggia anche a Morgex nel giorno dell’Assunzione (15 agosto), a La Thuile alla Traslazione delle reliquie di San Nicola (9 maggio), a Pré-Saint-Didier a San Lorenzo (10 agosto) e in alcune frazioni di questi paesi della Valdigne.

Villa Bruno (1959), located in the hamlet of Verrand di Pré-Saint-Didier, was inspired, a bit like the Pirovano al Breuil hut, by local rural constructions. The use of dry stone walls, a wood frame and lining and lose roof highly evoke the image of a mountain pasture on the side of the slope. it is one of the first buildings that reflects traditional architecture without explicitly referring to the log rascard.

Ancient house in the Verrand village, it is kown as the “grand bâtiment” or also as “Verrand castle”.
It has a number of characteristics from ancient times, such as the gothic windows in worked stone and a spiral staircase on the inside.
There are no historical data.

Built in the XV century and extended in 1891, it is a Latin cross church, with only one nave.

The main door dates back to the last great age of restoration and is overlooked by a wooden figure of the village’s patron, Saint Lawrence, created by a skilful local artist, Ottavio Grange. The transept, on the left side, hosts the Madonna delle Vittorie, a statue dating back to the XIX century, while the rest of the building is to the front (XVIII century); instead, the right side hosts St. Joseph’s altar. The nineteenth-century apse, on the main altar, is overlooked by a crucifix which was consecrated to mark the works conducted at the end of the nineteenth century. On the right hand side, the door of the sacristy dating back to the XVII century is made from walnut with prismatic crystal, carved panels.

The belltower is one of the oldest in the valley, along with those in Sarre, Chesallet, Issime and St. Benigno’s Priory (Saint-Bénin) in Aosta: the tower connects elements in Romanesque-Lombard style, from the typical mullioned window under the discharging arch, to later elements (XIII century) such as the capital in castle barbican style and a linked discharging arch, purely for decorative purposes.