Via Maria Bricca owes its name to a woman of great courage, whose tale began in 1693 with the occupation of Pianezza and the capture of its castle at the hands of French invaders. At the time, young Maria Bricca was one of the cooks working in the castle's kitchens, and didn't hold a lofty impression of the fortress's occupants. In 1706, after hearing of Pietro Micca's sacrifice, Maria was reminded of a passage connecting her own house to the castle's main hall. She somehow managed to pass the information on to one of Prince Eugene's sentinels, who summoned a squadron of Brandenburger grenadiers that, with Maria's guidance, broke into the fortress and snatched a decisive victory for the Savoy family in the September 7 offensive.