The origin of the village’s name could be from the words (glarea magna), suggesting the large gravel ground on Monte Basso slopes, or from the noble Roman name “Germanius”. Given the Roman artifacts found, the place could be identified with the Roman Forum Germanorum settlement. A second theory is that of a village along the ancient road to the Autaret and Arnas mountain passes on the way to Gaul. The name Germagnano is mentioned for the first time in some 1304 documents. As from the XIth century onward, Germagnano’s history is bound to the Baratonia Viscounts’ and the Lanzo Lords’. San Mauro di Pulcherada Abbey and Giacomo of Stura granted several Lanzo Valleys territories to both above-mentioned families. Nevertheless, it seems that Germagnano, although belonging to Lanzo’s Lords, as from the XIIth or XIIIth centuries, was an independent municipality. In 1622 a fire almost completely destroyed the village and Duke Carlo Emanuele I relieved the inhabitants from all taxes. This event is represented in the village banner by the lion carrying a flame. In 1725 the Lanzo Marquise’s territory was taken apart and King Vittorio Amedeo II granted Germagnano’s “countship” to lieutenant colonel Luigi Ignazio Faussone, governor of the Bard Fortress.
