Devillish Bessans
In Bessans, you meet the devil at every fountain, in the shops and even at the schools and houses. Besides cross-country skiing, the devil is actually the village emblem!
There’s a whole story behind Bessans’ relationship with the devil. In 1857, a dispute between the brotherhood of the Bessans singers and the village priest was “resolved” thanks to a wooden sculpture representing the devil holding a priest under his arm…. Since then, the tradition has continued!
Take a stroll through the streets of the village and stop at the “Chapoteur”, the woodcarving workshop where Georges and Fabrice Personnaz keep the legend going with their sculptures of the devil!