From the year 1000 until 1713, the upper Chisone valley was French territory. Poggio Oddone was a fortified village perched on the hill of Perosa Alta, borderland between the Dauphinate and the Duchy of Savoy. A border which, in the event of disputes between the two states, represented an obstacle to trade and the subsistence of the mountain populations. Ans so it was that, on more than one occasion between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Alpine herders of the upper valley donated some of their delicious Plaisentif alpine cheese to the Savoy Governor. The Governor was understanding and would agree to the reopening of trade.
Every year, Perosa Argentina remembers these events with an engaging historical re-enactment that draws visitors into the atmosphere of the 16th century. The programme includes a torchlight procession in costume, followed by Occitan music and dancing, the parade of nobles and townspeople and the Plaisentif cheese fair.
