From a historical perspective, the earliest evidence of human settlement in the municipal area dates back to Roman times, as attested by a funerary stele discovered in the hamlet of Brione, which commemorates a Valerio Vinissio, son of Anione.
The history of Val della Torre is deeply linked to the monasteries of San Martiniano, mentioned in a document from 904, which fell into ruin around the year 1000, and, above all, to the Cistercian convent of Brione, which reached the height of its splendour in the 13th and 14th centuries and remained as an independent entity, until 1 December 1601, when the Archbishop of Turin ordered its union with the Monastery of Santa Chiara in Turin. A remnant of the ancient monastery is the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, situated in the hamlet of Brione, which can be attributed to the Romanesque-Lombard style in its most fully developed form. It was built around the turn of the 13th century and consecrated only on 30 December 1283 by the Bishop of Turin; it has been classified as a monumental building since 1903.
Although the history of the village is linked to the monasteries, the name Val della Torre derives from a tower or an ancient castle, which already existed around the year 1000 near the hamlet of the same name and which was probably situated to defend the hills of Bassa, Lunella and Portia. These hills provided a safer and less-travelled secondary route linking the Turin plain with the Susa Valley and the Viù Valley.
Val della Torre is surrounded by a series of medium-height hills that open out like an amphitheatre onto the Turin plain, situated between the Susa Valley and the Lanzo Valley, about 20 km from Turin.
It lacks a proper historic centre, and the houses are scattered across 49 hamlets, ranging in altitude from 340 m at Cascina delle Monache to 830 m at Borgata Albrile.
Although the land is not very fertile and water is scarce, until the middle of the last century the inhabitants were predominantly farmers. With the industrial expansion following the Second World War, men and women found stable employment at Fiat, Philips and Pistone AE Borgo in Alpignano, without, however, abandoning the farming and livestock rearing they practised in their spare time, on public holidays and during their holidays, true to the motto ‘THE BEST REST IS A CHANGE OF WORK’.
Among the buildings, the Parish Church of San Donato Vescovo e Martire (built in the first half of the 18th century) is particularly noteworthy. The wooden statue of the patron saint, dating from 1763 and attributed to the sculptor Stefano Clemente, is of fine craftsmanship. The religious faith of the people of Valtorres is evidenced by the numerous chapels and votive pillars found in the various hamlets, linked together by the so-called ‘Strada delle Rogazioni’.