According to a legend, the original core of Toppo was located around the small church of Carmine; upon the arrival of Attila, the inhabitants would have fled north, to the shelter of Mount Ciaurlec, giving rise to the current village.

In fact, recent archaeological investigations have found traces of a probable pre-Christian place of worship a short distance from the small church: it is a circular dry stone enclosure, about 60-70 centimeters high and 68 meters in diameter, reinforced by some large vertical stones arranged in a regular manner. The enclosure, much damaged due to agricultural work, was originally fed by an underground spring, where the inhabitants of the area went to perform ritual ablutions, that is, to purify themselves by washing with water.

The sacredness of the place finds historical continuity with the nearby small church of Carmine. Originally dedicated to Saints Vito and Modesto, it has been remodeled several times, but still retains the “cuba,” that is, the porch that shelters the main entrance from the weather, and the small bell gable above the roof. Inside the small building, there is a canvas of Saint Joseph, commissioned by the inhabitants of the village as a vow after a terrible epidemic broke out in 1774. Following the same event, the inhabitants of the nearby village of Solimbergo also vowed to make an annual procession to the same small church.