The open, sunny plateau of Barmasc (Barmâhc in the local dialect), rich in meadows and woods at the foot of Mount Zerbion and Colle Portolaz, was once situated along a major transportation route connecting the Swiss valleys, the Biella area, and Valsesia—a route that had been used since prehistoric times, when the climate was more favorable.
The place name Barmasc, composed of the root *barma—derived from the Celtic term *balma (cave)—and the pre-Celtic Ligurian suffix *-asco (common in the names of places near waterways), refers to the characteristics of the site itself, which features a spring and large erratic boulders with natural shelters beneath them. The site has been inhabited since ancient times, and the enigmatic cup-marked boulder (with hemispherical indentations) in a clearing near Colle Portolaz is likely a marker of an ancient high-altitude route.
The course of the medieval Ru Cortot, an artificial canal that supplied water to the Saint Vincent hill, marks the landscape, flanked by a trail accessible to all.
In this area, some groups of houses, once used for summer pastures, are being transformed into permanent settlements now reached by paved roads and equipped with essential services (Pieit, Les Goïls).
Even in Barmasc, which is not historically documented as a village, the houses stand isolated from one another. Some date back to the end of the last century, while the older ones bear the possible date of construction (‘millesimi’) engraved on the window frames protected by iron grilles (1780, 1840, 1853).
A natural spring that gave rise to an ancient water cult, the venerated sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Help, the memory of impressive processions, and the visit on July 15, 1990, by His Holiness Pope John Paul II—to whose memory a large wooden cross is dedicated—make Barmasc a true place of spiritual significance.
Map of Barmasc
Sanctuary of the Madonna of Good Help
The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Buon Soccorso in Barmasc stands within a context rich in history and symbolism, reflecting a cultural layering that extends far beyond a mere place of worship. The current structure, dating back to 1744, rises upon an older chapel, perhaps from the 15th century, dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena, who, with her long flowing red hair, evokes pre-Christian figures associated with the fertility of the earth and water—elements sacred in Celtic tradition. In 1839, thanks to the intervention of the parish priest François Victor Amé Dandrès, Marian devotion was officially consolidated under the title of Notre Dame du Bon Secours. Of particular significance is the spring at the base of the building, regarded as miraculous and venerated since ancient times, which has nourished not only local spirituality but also the practical needs of the community, irrigating meadows and powering mills. The ritual of the triple immersion of the processional Cross in the water recalls baptismal and Easter symbolism, while the carved staff, marked with notches of 4.4 cm corresponding to the local onta, bears witness to the intimate connection between faith and traditional measurement. Inside, the altar with canopy from 1938-39 houses a canvas depicting the Madonna with Child, flanked by Saint Gratus and Saint Giocondo, patrons of rain. The statue of the crowned Madonna nursing, made of cardboard and plaster, dates back to the 16th century and follows a German typology, while the painted panels display symbolic saints with strong iconographic significance. The legend of the beggar and the immovable painting, which determined the construction of the chapel precisely over the spring, endows the sanctuary with an aura of sacredness and mystery, deeply rooted in the culture and history of the Val d’Ayas.
Ru Cortot
The Ru Cortot is a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering that traces its origins back to the first half of the fifteenth century, when a group of farmers from the Val d’Ayas, having obtained permission from the powerful Ibleto di Challant, constructed a canal approximately 25 km long to irrigate the arid lands of the Saint-Vincent hill. The work begins at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, in the alpine pasture of Le Cortot, from which water originating from the snow-covered Cime Bianche is skillfully channeled along a contour path, often snowbound until June, thus ensuring a constant flow. This canal represents an exceptional example of how man has adapted to and enhanced a complex mountainous territory, employing ingenious solutions such as tunnels carved into the rock and wooden walkways to overcome chasms and elevation changes. Its function was essential for the development of agriculture and cattle breeding, meeting the growing demand for fodder in the fifteenth century. The management of the Ru, regulated since 1433 by Count Francesco di Challant, involved a system of collective maintenance and strict control over the use of water, with dedicated figures such as the revàn, the canal’s guardians. Today, the Ru Cortot preserves intact its evocative trace within the territory of Ayas, along a 9 km stretch in the open air, keeping alive a historical and landscape heritage spanning nearly six centuries. Although the irrigation function is now performed by underground pipelines, the survival of the original canal is the result of a courageous local preservation effort in the 1970s that safeguarded this extraordinary example of traditional engineering and harmony between man and the Alpine environment.
Barmasc and the signs of devotion
Barmasc represents a crossroads of faith and mountain tradition, testified by the House of Monsignor Giuseppe Obert (1890–1972), a prominent missionary figure of the twentieth century. Raised among these valleys as a shepherd, Obert undertook a long mission in Bengal, becoming bishop of Dinajpur from 1948 to 1968. His motto, “Virgo potens, erige pauperem,” embodies the humility and spiritual strength that animated his life. From this village unfolds the Via Crucis of Monte Zerbion, a devotional and artistic path inaugurated for the Jubilee of 2000. Along the trail, stone bas-reliefs illustrate the twelve stations of the Via Crucis and the Mysteries of the Rosary, created from designs by Gabriel Girardi and sculpted by various artists. The walk leads to the summit of Zerbion, where the Madonna delle Alpi dominates, a 5-meter-high bronze statue erected in 1932 as an ex voto for the return of soldiers from the First World War. This imposing figure symbolizes the meeting between heaven and earth, uniting the sacredness of the place with historical memory. Every July 29th, the community renews this spiritual bond with a pilgrimage and mass at the summit. Completing the devotional tableau of Barmasc, the Cross dedicated to Pope John Paul II, erected in 1990, attests to the intense spirituality permeating these mountains, making this place a guardian of memories and profound faith.
A true viewpoint
The summit of Monte Zerbion (2,722 m) is one of the best-known and most popular destinations in the Val d’Ayas, offering a magnificent view of nearby Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso, and Mont Blanc.
The route is also known for the Via Crucis and the enormous statue of the Madonna ‘Regina Pacis’ located on the summit. The hike presents no particular difficulties except for the final stretch leading to Colle Portolaz, which is steep and slightly exposed.
