Caning and whipping in the streets of the village for all to see, exposure tied to chains in the public square to be the object of ridicule; even quartering in the case of lese majesty or conspiracy against the honour of the Three Leagues. These were some of the corporal punishments that, during Graubünden domination (from 1512 to 1797), were inflicted on the citizens of Valtellina and Bianzone in the case of light or serious offences. It was not good at school either, where rods and stirrups (sticks) were used to correct pupils' faults.
There is a wealth of information in the book “Da un Ave Maria all'altra. La magnifica comunità di Bianzone al tempo di Grigioni” (From one Hail Mary to the next. The magnificent community of Bianzone at the time of the Grigioni), written by Vanda Cerveri with the contribution of Christian Sertorio, most of it almost coming from a manuscript of 1638 found in the Sondrio historical archives and translated in full. This book is a tribute to the peasant roots of Bianzone, to the apparent prosperity in which the people lived, in reality controlled by the Grigioni, to the wealth given by the vineyards, to the work and sacrifices of the Bianzonaschi, to the significance of the ringing of the bells and much more.
