Documented since the Middle Ages, the Municipality of Vernante was officially born according to tradition in 1290. Located in a sunny basin halfway up the valley, the small village has always played an important role in the economies of the valley, representing for a long time the most populous centre of the valley. The name of Vernante derives from the medium-sized soft wood trees, once widespread in the Valley: the “verne”.
the centre develops alongside the current state road n. 20, divided in two by the main road which until the nineteenth century forced travellers and wayfarers to cross Vernante and which over time led to the birth of inns and various activities whose original structures are still visible when you go through the centre.
Inside the old town centre, the Parish Church of San Nicolao, the fortification of the Torurusela dominating the town, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Valle, the Attilio Mussino Museum (the illustrator considered as Pinocchio’s uncle) are well worth a visit and the many murals (more than 150) that decorate the houses of the village with images taken from the story of the famous puppet.