Once life in the little village of Oira, now part of the Municipality of Crevoladossola, centred around its dairy, founded in the 19th century. Traditional activities in the area were strongly linked to cattle rearing, with related production of butter and cheeses, as well as to vine growing on the narrowest and more exposed slopes of the mountains.
The dairy allowed all the families owning at least one or two cows to deliver their freshly produced milk in rotation – and this is the origin of name of this type of dairy (latteria turnaria) – for cheese-making.
Below the dairy there was a capacious cellar used to mature the cheeses, which were later subdivided between the members based on the amounts of milk they had delivered. Only a very limited quantity of cheese produced was sold, since most of it was eaten by the producers themselves. The Oira dairy, located in a building that was built in the 17th century, ceased operation only a few years ago, when more modern cooperative dairies were opened in the valley. Between 2003 and 2004, the Ancient Dairy of Oira was completely restored, in full respect of its original characteristics, and it now once again produces cheese but only for demonstrative and educational purposes. The cellar beneath it has also returned to its original use, principally the maturing of local “tome ubriacate” cheeses, that is those matured in the marc of Prünent, the oldest and most highly-regarded Ossola red wine.
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