Balboutet, Italy – Walking Tour (4K UHD)

A hamlet in the municipality of Usseaux, Balboutet is located in Piedmont, north-west of Italy. Here, time has stopped to a rural past made of flowered balconies and stone houses. But the main characters in town are the sun, the sundials, and the swallows…Come see why!

Balboutet is a tiny village next to Usseaux: we’re in the heart of Val Chisone, 50 kilometers from Turin in Piedmont, Italy.

If you want to step into an Alpine fairytale village, this is the place for you! Even swallows think this is a very special place…You’ll be surrounded by stone houses with lovely decorations, wooden balconies and doors, as well as some representations of a rural past not to be forgotten.

Balboutet also celebrates the sun and the passing of time with amazing sundials and some other curious artifacts…Are you ready to discover them?

Timestamps:
[00:00] *Welcome to Balboutet*
[00:50] *Lou Tanhë* – the upper part of the village
[02:05] *Old washhouse* – where women used to launder their families’ clothes.
[04:25] *Là Chenàes* – a gathering place for the local meetings
[07:35] *‘l fourn* – the ancient community oven
[12:15] *‘l Trount* – the area where Piazza del Sole is located
[12:45] *Piazza del Sole* – a full celebration of the sun
[13:10] *Calendar of the Seasons* – metal plate showcasing an ancient clock
[13:45] *Solar system* – model-sized planets
[15:00] *Vertical solar clock* – look for the polar star
[18:25] *The plasètte dà fransèe* – the French corner
[21:55] *Church of San Bartolomeo* – the main religious landmark
[24:50] *The Maison da Roux* – testifying a stormy past
[26:35] *Fenestrelle Fort* – a far-off view of the Fort of Fenestrelle
[28:15] *Save the swallows* – an effort to support swallow nesting
[32:00] *Next stop* – Usseaux!

📜 Turn on the CAPTIONS to read descriptions, historical facts and lots more!

🇺🇸/🇬🇧 Closed Captions are available in English.

📌 PLAYLIST Piedmont (Italy)

#balboutet #usseaux #valchisone #piedmont #turin #italy #4k #walkingtour

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Have you ever seen a village celebrating the sun? Have you ever seen signs thanking those who protect swallow nests? Balboutet is all this and more! Let’s discover it together! Welcome to Balboutet in Piedmont, Italy.

Balboutet is a tiny hamlet in the municipality of Usseaux, some 50 kilometers from Turin and quite close to the border with France. We are in the heart of Val Chisone, one of the most beautiful Occitan valleys of Piedmont.

This is a “lavatoio”, an old fountain where the women used to wash their families’ clothes. Visiting Balboutet makes you feel like you stepped back in time. The village’s typical Alpine architecture is a tangible link to its ancient rural roots.

All around are little stone houses with sloping roofs, thick wooden doors and colored flower beds. It’s hard not to fall in love with the flowered balconies, the bare stone walls, and all the adorable details adorning the houses.

This small square is called Là Chenàes and it’s where the inhabitants gather for their village meetings. Balboutet lies at around 1,500 meters above sea level, and it is home to only 30 people. It’s the perfect place to live for those who love nature, complete quietness and a rural lifestyle.

The village is also called Borgata del Sole (‘the hamlet of the sun’) because it is exposed to the south and is warmed by the sun throughout the year. Even on winter’s longest days, the sun lights up the houses and warmth most of the hamlet.

This building is the village oven, which was built in the early 18th century and still has its original structure. El Fourn (‘l fourn in the local patouà dialect) was used by all the inhabitants of the village to bake bread and cook meals.

Every 21 days, villagers united to bake bread, keeping the oven continuously lit until all households had their share of fresh loaves. This created a genuine sense of community, allowing everyone to come together and spend some time together. This well has stood for more than 100 years.

Balboutet has created a special itinerary to retrace the history of time measurement. Along the itinerary, you can look at 24 perfectly functioning solar quadrants, both recent and ancient (dating back to 1868). The itinerary develops throughout the main road and the village’s alleys, finishing at Piazza del Sole, which we’ll visit shortly.

This map here highlights the main spots in the village. Here is another typical lavatoio fountain. Le Tront (‘l Trount in the patouà dialect) means “the thunder” and is the name of this area.

These signs are used to indicate the most important sites of the village. This one refers to the area surrounding Piazza del Sole. To celebrate the sun and enrich the itinerary dedicated to time, various elements related to astronomy have been placed in Piazza del Sole.

This metal plate here displays a Calendar of the Seasons, depicting typical human activities for each season. It’s an ancient version of a clock, as our ancestors primarily organized their day based on the movements of the sun.

This is a proper miniature model of the Solar System, where all the proportions of the planets have been observed. Here stands the model of Jupiter, the largest planet in our system. Of course, the model ignores the vast distances that separate them. If so, Pluto’s model would be around 20 kilometers away!

Look how the Earth is much smaller than other planets! The vertical solar clock here reproduces a part of the celestial vault and the daily variation of time. At night, if you look in the direction of the thread you can see the polar star!

The origins of Balboutet, as we see it today, probably date back to the 17th century. Before the significant 20th-century emigrations, its economy was essentially based on agriculture and livestock breeding. Cattle raising and sheep herding were the village’s primary activities in past centuries. At its peak, locally bred animals numbered between 150 and 200.

This sign reads “isi ou shà su la plasètte dà fransèe” translating to “here is the little French square.” It has been placed here because some French people live in this area. Today, the main economic activities of the village are livestock breeding, cheese production, and tourism.

Here is the Church of San Bartolomeo, the main religious building in Balboutet. The Neoclassical-style church was built in 1843 on the ruins of an ancient church. Inside, there is a tabernacle, a Saint Joseph statue and a Saint Bartholomew painting, all dating back to the 19th century.

The church was restored in 2021 to welcome locals and visitors alike, especially during the patron-saint holiday on August 23. This house is called Maison da roux, and was once the most important one in Balboutet before it was demolished some decades ago.

The 1699 wooden door still bears bullet holes from battles between Catholics and Waldensians. These signs commemorate the four times cycling tour “Giro d’Italia” has crossed the nearby Colle delle Finestre: in 2005, 2011, 2015, and 2018. Far away you can see Colle delle Finestre and the imposing Fenestrelle Fort.

Balboutet is also known for being the ideal place for swallows to seek refuge and reproduce. A lot of swallow nests are clearly visible among the roofs in Balboutet from spring to late summer. Climate change and some predators represent big enemies for the swallows, which must thus be protected.

For this reason, a special recognition sign is awarded to residents who protect and encourage swallow nesting. Another sign written in the patouà dialect, highlighting the bond of the village with its most ancient traditions. These plaques also serve as a cultural ties between these valleys and southern France, where the Occitan language prevailed.

A curious fact: in the past, each hamlet of Usseaux had a special nickname that was used by the inhabitants to refer to each other. Balboutet was known as “Café” for its warm hospitality and willingness to share a cup of coffee. Our walking tour is almost over.

I hope you enjoyed the quiet, surprising corners of Balboutet. If you want to keep discovering another lovely place like Balboutet, click on the video above to go explore Usseaux. It is only a 2km walk away from here. See you there!