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The Middle Ages
The Middle Ages in La Mandria are documented by the presence of the remains of the old Rubbianetta refuge in the Druento area. Here you can still visit the ruins of the old shelter with the walls of the castle and the little church of San Giuliano with its splendid frescoes.
The territory used to be part of the viscounty of Baratonia. The name Ottone, Viscount of Baratonia, appears near that of Countess Adelaide, who was then the ruler of the marchland of Turin, perhaps for the first time in 1075. The dominion of the Baratonia initially extended from Dora Riparia to Stura and later also to the bordering areas, as far as the banks of the River Ceronda.
The Castle of Rubbianetta, “Castellaccio”, at La Mandria may represent the outpost of an old military control system guarding Turin and the mountain passes. Over time, the defences most likely began to operate as a shelter to protect the rural suburb that had arisen around the Church of San Giuliano.
In 1343, the territory came under the power of the Provana family of Carignano. In particular, the branch generated by Leonetto, councillor of Leinì, was singled out beginning from the 1500’s with the name Druent and Rubbianetta.
During the second half of the 1500’s, Carlo Provana was “arrogated in his right as son” by Francesco di Druent of the Ardizzone line. Despite the fact that this arrogation would later be annulled, he inherited the landed estates of Druent and Rubbianetta, by virtue of acts of gift by the Duke Carlo Emanuele I. The marriage of Carlo and Paola Enry dè Cremieux (whose family originated from Dauphiné and had just settled in Piedmont where they owned the estate of Altessano) and the inheritance of Druent encouraged the accumulation of a series of estates and freehold estates - all situated from Madonna di Campagna towards the lands of Druent and Altessano, making up a territorial expanse of enormous size, income and power. Carlo Provana died in 1599.
