ABSTRACT
Mount Fautenio, where the faithful of Saint Besse assemble every year, is situated in the mountains that dominate the upper Soana valley, that is, at the eastern extremity and on the southern slope of the Gran Paradiso chain. Then, under Roman peace, the people of the plain, attracted by the iron and copper deposits of these valleys, settled on the mountain as a conquered land and taught the ancient inhabitants of the soil to speak Latin, from which the existing dialects are derived. But when Roman power foundered, the influence of the teachers from the plains slackened and the mountain tribe fell back into isolation and oblivion. It is remarkable that the most salient historic manifestations of this people were acts of aggression or defense against the people of the flatlands. One might say that the highlanders felt, at certain times, the need to avenge themselves on the privileged plain dwellers for the unluckiness of the Alpine environment.
