ANDOMA AI BALMIT

The "Andoma ai Balmit" event of Borgofranco di Ivrea is not only the friendly title given t the now traditional appointment of the third sunday in June, when the Balmetti of Borgofranco fill up with people and music, is also an invite to a popular festival that the people of this small village extend to all, this year even to the tourists from the EXPO, in order to help discover and appreciate these places full of history and a rich tradition, giving moments of peaceful joy and an opportunity to taste and purchase good local and Canavese wines (the Vin dal Balmet, the Carema DOC, and the Erbaluce di Caluso DOC) and typical local sweets, "The Canestrelli", in a warm friendly atmosphere.

The Balmetti di Borgofranco: there is a strange correlation and a strict correspondence between the Balmetti di Borgofranco and the canavesano character of its residents. Upon a first superficial contact they may appear closed and sometimes shady, but as soon as you establish a true relationship and you can deepen your acquaintance, you will discover many hidden qualities, often unspoken due to modesty or bashfulness, and also availability and courtesy above the standard, besides a marked tendency to stay happily together with a glass of good wine in the hand.

Origins: the Balmetti, diminutive of “balma” (antique name of Ligurian origin that stands for cave, hollow area in a mount) are located at approximately one kilometer from the centre of Borgofrancod'Ivrea; they extend towards the North along the VIA FRANCIGENA morenicacanavesana, for almost five-hundred metres and sort of form a village on its own, apparently abandoned and uninhabited. To the tourist, in fact, the buildings appear as nothing more than a nucleolus of simple farmsteads one next to the other and all together with the mountain, without virtue and with an external appearance and spontaneous architecture that is not relevant.

Geology: within they hide a natural phenomenon that is almost unique in the world: from the bowels of the mountain, for a concatenated series of very particular geo-natural phenomena, from the numerous cracks in the rock a fresh wind is always coming out (an “aura” in Latin, “ora” in Piedmont dialect), almost the breath of a sleeping giant that man has captured and uses for his own purposes and to his advantage.

Use:since we are in an area that at least since the XII century has seen vine cultivation at the centre of work in the fields, especially towards Biò and Montebuono, our ancestors immediately understood the use and possibility of using this precious gift of nature by building around the orifices a series of wine cellars of exceptional value, with optimal yield of maturing and preservation of the Bacchus product, which now acquires a very particular goodness. Thanks to the fresh blow of the “ore”, in fact, inside these cellars humidity and temperature are constantly kept at 7/8 degrees Centigrade throughout the entire year. Here the wine, but even cheeses, lard and salami in general can be better preserved away from the devastating summer heat and the dangerous winter frost. To the first cellars in direct contact with the “ore”, other environments have been added that use the “ore” flow in a more indirect and secondary way and ofter an upper floor where it is possible to greet relatives and friends in a more comfortable manner, while outside the Balmetto it is often equipped with a courtyard closed by a wood or metal gate, furnished with stone tables and rustic benches.

Tradition: the Balmetti are not only an enormous natural refrigerator “ante litteram”, nor is there destination exclusively and strictly utilitarian, but they are also and above all an extremely interesting social and collective phenomenon. They are a fundamental part of the local culture and its most true traditions, besides being intimately and harmoniously inserted into a beautiful natural environment, defenced with steadfast determination. For those that own them, the Balmetti are a reason for pride and a precious resource of family heritage and tradition to be passed down to future generations: continuity of a portion of history that sees them as protagonists, something that however goes well beyond its strict commercial value. The census of 1984 records 213 Balmetti with 267 owners: it is therefore evident that there is co-ownership for some. There are 292 “ore”.

The via del Buonumore: underlining the uniqueness of this strange country, its roads have names that seem more appropriate for a place of fantasy and utopia instead of a real place: Vicolo di Bacco, Via del Buonumore and Via dellaCoppa and as such, this town, despite being visited daily, lives especially for three moments throughout the year: for the Carnival, for th feast of Balmetti and for the grape harvest. Throughout the entire Canavese area, the Carnival has very particular features that are deeply tied to tradition, here the bond is even stronger and tight: the festivals and convivial meetings ot the three carnival companies, accompanied by bands of brass and drums, these are captivating moments of cheerfulness and social integration that involve everyone, with the assistance of a few sips of good wine.

The beauty of the landscape and its people: the harvest, finally, brings us back to the primary intended use and work for these environments when the grapes are finally collected and you proceed with the production of local wine that will warm the heart during family celebrations. It is especially during these three periods of the year that the most evident qualities of these places and their inhabitants emerge: especially the calm beauty of its landscape, hospitality and kindness of the people. All of the owners of the Balmetti work hard to offer their best to their guests, even occasional, and easily become great friends, captivated by the environment and that atmosphere of close relationship between friendly nature and a cultural and human heritage of first choice.

THE VIN DAL BALMÈT: Red wine obtained by grapes from different vines, located in the territory of Borgofranco, in particular on the Montebuono hill, in the communities of Biò, San Germano, Ivozio, Campagnola; this wine is vinified and preserved in the traditional cellars called Balmetti, placed along the slopes of the mountain, where cold air currents (called “ore”) are filtered by the rocks that maintain the cellars at a low temperature throughout the year. The Vin del Balmèt is bottled by C.PN.C of Carema for the Borgofranco Winemakers and can be purchased in all grocery stores of Borgofranco and during the “AndumaaiBalmit” event that takes place the 3rd week-end in June.