The Pesio Valley was the nerve centre of the partisan resistance. A resistance movement against the Nazi-Fascism began immediately after the armistice on 8th September. The first units were formed above all according to the disbandment of the Fourth Italian Army drawn up in French territory.

On 20th September 1943 the reserve captain of the Alpine Piero Cosa climbs the mountains of the Carthusian monastery, who together with some yellow soldiers and his sister put the basis for the historical Band of the Pesio Valley. Also other partisan troops join very soon Cosa like the refugee alpines of the Gias della Madonna and a group of students from Cuneo hidden at Gias Sestrera.

The band differs immediately due to risky and aimed actions which attract the attention both of the Germans as well as of the allied forces, who more than once turn to the partisans of the Valley to agree on disturbance actions against the enemy, but also to distribute foods and help.

On 8th April 1944 the Germans launch a massive offensive against the partisans: more than 1500 soldiers climb the Valley to drive out the 170 combatants of the band. The partisans can resist due to the strong control of some key points like the Passo del Duca, the access road to the Pian delle Gorre and the Mirauda.

After the raking up the band gets temporarily dispersed to start with the Alpine Division in July 1944, afterwards called the III Alps Division and at least transformed in R Division Group on February 1945. Meanwhile a small clandestine typography of Villanova prints the paper "the Recovery of Italy".

The partisan initiative grows with the arrival of summer and autumn. New heavy raking ups disperse the men in winter 1944 and slow down the military action till the following March when the partisan offensive gets decisive and the partisans get prepared to the final effort, which lead the National Liberation Committee to take control of the territory till arrival of the allied forces.