by Monica Brao

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Memories of Giuana dal Long-Del Punt (Giovanna Dotto, born in 1912) and of Pinu della Keina Tait del Mul (Giuseppe Lovera, born in 1934) which were told to me during my childhood, on an autumn day by the wooden stove where stuffed onions were cooking. 

 

Remaining together through winter. 
The ancient statue of Saint Anne in Blangero 

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… and let us not forget that Sant’Anna di Valdieri 
is protected by three statues of Saint Anne, the Mother of the Virgin Mary. 
These three statues are in perfect conditions and receive worship. 
The most ancient one is no longer amongst these mountains and who knows if it will return. 
When it was lost, the people of Blangero [the old name of the village] were in great despair. 
Winter was coming and this meant forthcoming isolation for the villagers. 
None of them wanted to face the rude alpine winter 
without a place to gather in prayer 
or even worse, without an effigy of Saint Anne 
in front of which to kneel and request protection. 
The local families did not give up on hope and soon found a solution. 
They quickly refit a room as a temporary chapel 
in a house belonging to the Giaculete family, on the road to the Bagn [Terme di Valdieri]. 
This house was situated along the way to Tait Picheta, Cumisari and to the Issalai, 
in which there was once Lucia and Gianét’s shop. 
Meanwhile, a man of the Petaca-Keina family from Tait del Mul was given a large wooden log. 
The tree was chopped down by the Pertusà family in a nearby forest 
and from that light colored, cheap wood piece, 
he carved a statue of Saint Anne and her young daughter Mary. 
These two statues were displayed in the temporary chapel, 
where they brought great comfort to all the villagers. 
Once the new chapel of Blangero was built and consecrated, 
the statues of Saint Anne and the young Mary were transferred there. 
This new chapel has now become the main church of Sant’Anna di Valdieri. 
But when a new golden robed statue of Saint Anne was offered to the church, 
the wooden ones were set aside, but not forgotten. 
Indeed, one day the people of Tait Gajna requested them. 
They wanted their own place of worship to gather in prayer. 
So, on the Rukas [the rocks at the entrance of Tetti Gaina], 
which both divide and unite the hamlet, 
they built a small shrine in which Saint Anne and Mary were welcome 
in songs and prayers, 
and there they remain to this day.