Valle d'Aosta (French: Vallée d'Aoste) is a region with a special
status in northwestern Italy. Valle d'Aosta, which is the smallest
of Italy's 20 regions, is located in the northwest of the country.
It is made up of a central valley crossed by the Dora Baltea river
(Doire baltée in French) and 13 side valleys carved out by glaciers
and streams. Protected areas account for almost a third of the
region, in order to safeguard biodiversity. There are two natural
parks: the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Mont Avic Regional
Park. Known throughout the world for the main climbing routes that
have made the history of mountaineering, for its trekking
itineraries and for its ski resorts of international standing, Valle
d'Aosta boasts an exceptional historical, cultural and artistic
heritage, with Roman monuments, medieval castles and Romanesque
churches, not to mention the high quality wines and gastronomic
specialities.
Geographic hints
On the border
with France is the highest peak in Europe, Mont Blanc, while the
Gran San Bernardo pass connects the Aosta Valley with Switzerland.
The region is home to the only entirely Italian 4000m, the Gran
Paradiso.
The territory is completely mountainous, the
average altitude of the region is over 2000 meters.
The river
that runs through the entire valley, from north-west to south-east,
is the Dora Baltea, 160 kilometers long. It conventionally
originates from the Brenva glacier in Val Veny, but takes its name
from the confluence of the Dora di Ferret (coming from the Pré de
Bar glacier in Val Ferret) and the Dora di Veny (from the Miage
glacier in Val Veny). The river receives its waters from all the
streams of the Aosta Valley side valleys, it laps the capital Aosta,
continues through locks, rapids and flat stretches and once in
Piedmont it flows into the Po near Crescentino.
Spoken
languages
The most spoken languages in Valle d'Aosta are Italian
and French. In Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Gressoney-La-Trinité and Issime
a minority also speak German and the Walser language, which is
spoken further north across the border in Switzerland. The most
widespread minority language is called Arpitan or Franco-Provençal
(locally, patois valdôtain).
The main valley is crossed by the Dora Baltea (in French, Doire
baltée), a left tributary of the Po, which originates at the foot of
Mont Blanc from the confluence, near Entrèves, of the Dora di Ferret and
the Dora di Vény. The river flows through the capital, Aosta.
Valdigne
The term Valdigne refers to the upper part of the Valle
d'Aosta, corresponding to the upper course of the Dora Baltea. In
Valdigne there are, among other municipalities, Courmayeur and La Salle.
The territory includes the following valleys:
Val Ferret — It
develops north of the Courmayeur basin, bordering the south-eastern
slope of Mont Blanc.
Val Veny - north-west of Courmayeur. To see the
Lake of the Miage.
Vallone di La Thuile — The three Rutor waterfalls
are the most spectacular in the Aosta Valley and should not be missed.
Also worth visiting is the ravine of Verney (in French, Gouffre de
Verney), in the lower part of the valley, near Pré-Saint-Didier.
Left
side valleys
Adret (pron. Adré) is the typical Aosta Valley name to
indicate the orographic right. The left side valleys of the Dora Baltea,
reported in succession going up the Valle d'Aosta from Piedmont, are:
Valle di Gressoney (or Valle del Lys) — Home to the Monterosa Ski
area.
Val d'Ayas — The most important tourist center of the valley is
Champoluc, one of the three villages that form the capital of Ayas (the
others are Antagnod and Saint-Jacques).
Valtournenche - The famous
ski resort of Breuil-Cervinia is located here
Saint-Barthelemy
Walloon —
Valpelline and the Gran San Bernardo Valley — It begins in
the capital Aosta and ends at the hill of the same name which separates
it from the Valais.
Right side valleys
Envers (pron. Anvèr) is
the typical Aosta Valley name to indicate the orographic right.
Valle di Champorcher — It is the first valley you meet on the left going
up the Valle d'Aosta. It is crossed by the Ayasse stream, a right
tributary of the Dora Baltea.
Champdepraz valley — hosts the
Mont-Avic natural park.
Val di Cogne, Valsavarenche and Val di Rhêmes
— The three Aosta Valley valleys that are part of the Gran Paradiso
National Park
Valgrisenche —
Aosta (Aoste)
Sarre
Chatillon
Saint-Vincent
Courmayeur
Chamois
Etroubles
Pontey
Saint-Pierre
Fenis
Mont Blanc
Monte Rosa
Gran Paradiso
National Park
The Valley is an outdoor adventurer's dream. In summer it offers a
wide range of climbing and hiking possibilities above the valley floor.
In winter it is at the heart of the Italian skiing experience, with
popular areas such as Courmayeur.
Spas. A great activity to do
throughout the year is a visit to the Thermes de Pré-Saint-Didier.
Incredibly relaxing in a beautiful setting overlooking Mont Blanc. See
website for prices and times. Open late on Friday and Saturday nights
for nights under the stars.
Rock climbing. There are rock faces
equipped for sport climbing throughout the valley.
Ski. The
Breuil-Cervinia area has access to both the slopes of Valtournenche and
those of Zermatt in Switzerland.
By plane
The only airport in the region is the "Corrado Gex"
regional airport, in Saint-Christophe, a few km from Aosta.
By
car
The regional territory is entirely mountainous; the main road
axes obviously arise in the valley: they are the Valle d'Aosta state
road 26 and the A5 motorway (Turin - Aosta - Mont Blanc Tunnel). All the
other roads then branch off from the state road, connecting all the
smaller towns and the various valleys of the region. As far as road
signs are concerned, throughout the Valle d'Aosta the signs are
bilingual Italian - French; the toponyms of inhabited centers are
written on the location and destination signs only in the official
French form with the exception of only the municipality of Aosta (Aoste
in French).
The Aosta Valley is crossed by the A5; the 59.5 km
stretch from the border with Piedmont to Aosta is managed by SAV S.p.A.
with 5 toll booths (Pont-Saint-Martin, Verrès, Châtillon/Saint-Vincent,
Nus and Aosta Est). The last stretch from Aosta East to the state border
is the responsibility of the RAV - Raccordo Autostradale Valle d'Aosta
S.p.A., a company belonging to the Autostrade per l'Italia Group. The A5
motorway is the most expensive in Italy.
On the train
In Valle
d'Aosta there are 161 km of railways; the main railway line is the Aosta
- Ivrea - Chivasso - Turin line, 129 km long, with seven stations. The
other line is the Aosta - Pré-Saint-Didier, 32 km, with eleven stations.
The railway service was suspended on 24 December 2015. It was managed by
Trenitalia s.p.a which, with the aim of improving the quality of the
service, in 2009 had renewed part of the rolling stock fleet with the
introduction into operation of 7 new Minuetto Diesels.
The ticket
offices of Aosta, Châtillon, Verrès, Pont-Saint-Martin report to the
Valle d'Aosta Regional Directorate.
The Region has started the
process whereby the regional Administration will take the place of the
State in relations with Trenitalia, through the transfer of ownership of
the service to the Administration itself, as permitted by current
legislation; at the conclusion of this process, the regional rail
transport service may also be the subject of a tender, so that the
assignment is made on the basis of parameters established by the Region,
such as the cost and quality of the service with regard to punctuality,
comfort, reliability, and that the Region can equip itself with the
right tools to effectively sanction any delays and shortcomings.
There is also an abandoned railway line, the Cogne-Acque Fredde railway,
which operated from 1921 to 1979.
By bus
Public transport in
Valle d'Aosta is managed by the company SAVDA, owner of a regional
concession which allows it to manage about 50% of public road transport.
As regards the urban public transport service of the plaine, the
concessionaire is the SVAP.
The company operating in public
transport in the lower Valle d'Aosta is VITA.
Carbonade
Seupa à la Valpelenentse
Honeycomb
Polenta tanning
Typical cheeses such as: Fontina, Toma di Gressoney, Bleu d'Aoste (blue
cheese)
Raw hams such as the famous Jambon de Bosses and Saint-Marcel
Valle d'Aosta DOC wine has the following territorial variants:
Arnad-Montjovet, Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, Muscat de Chambave
flétri, Chardonnay, Caves de Donnas, Enfer d'Arvier, Nus Malvoisie
flétri and Torrette. Others worthy of note are: Fumin, Gamay, Petit
Rouge, Petite Arvine, Pinot noir and Pinot gris.
Aosta Valley coffee
(Café à la valdôtaine)
There is also the Maley Aosta Valley cider,
produced in Valdigne with Raventze apples from Valtournenche.
Valle d'Aosta has a low level of crime.
On the other hand, the
risk of avalanches looms over the mountains and it is better to venture
only in areas that you know well, alternatively to be accompanied by a
guide.
The region has two official names: Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta (in
Italian) and Région Autonome Vallée d'Aoste.
In the Aosta Valley
dialect, belonging to the Franco-Provençal linguistic family, the
unofficial wording Réjón otonomma Val d'Outa or Réjón otonoma Val
d'Ousta is used.
In documents in the Walser language it is called
Augschtalann or Ougstalland.
Unofficially, it is often referred
to as Val d'Aosta; the same phenomenon is observed in French, where the
unofficial word Val d'Aoste is very common.
In Piedmontese, whose
Canavese version is spoken to a minority in some municipalities in the
lower valley, the region is called Val d'Osta.
Valle d'Aosta is the smallest Italian region and is located in the
middle of the Alps, which here are divided into the sectors of the
Graian Alps and the Pennine Alps. It is surrounded by the four highest
mountain massifs in Italy: Mont Blanc, which with 4,810.02 m is the
highest mountain in Europe, Cervino (4,478 m), Monte Rosa (4,634 m) and
Gran Paradiso (4,061 m). The conformation of the entire regional
territory is the result of the work of the glaciations, which dug the
main valley and the other side valleys. Glaciers now occupy only the
highest peaks. Valley glaciers are still partially found around the Mont
Blanc massif: mostly they are fossil glaciers, i.e. covered by moraine
boulders and vegetation on the terminal tongue, as happens, for example,
in the Miage Glacier.
The region is crossed by the Dora Baltea,
an important left tributary of the Po river, which marks its main valley
from which numerous secondary valleys branch off with their tributaries,
including the Dora di Valgrisenche and the Lys. The major natural lakes
are Lake Verney in La Thuile, the lower Lake of Laures (fr. Lac des
Laures inférieur) in Brissogne and the Gran Lago (fr. Grand Lac) of
Champdepraz. The lake of Beauregard and the lake of Place-Moulin are
reservoirs.
The most important border crossings are the Colle del
Piccolo San Bernardo and the Colle del Gran San Bernardo, which
corresponds to the homonymous tunnel. The southern part of the territory
is occupied by the Gran Paradiso National Park (Parc National du
Grand-Paradis), the first Italian national park established in 1922, to
safeguard some endangered species of alpine flora and fauna, such as
ibex, chamois , marmots and stoats. The Mont Avic Natural Park (Parc
naturel du Mont-Avic) is the first regional park in the Aosta Valley and
extends between the Champdepraz valley and the Champorcher Valley.
Due to the orography of the Valle d'Aosta territory, there are very
different local microclimates even between nearby valleys or slopes.
Temperatures vary according to the altitude of the territory. At
high altitudes there is an alpine climate, whereby summers are short and
alternate with long cold winters with temperatures that even drop to -20
°C and even lower than -30 °C at altitudes above 2,000 m. Continental
climates are observed in the valley bottoms: in winter temperatures drop
below 0 °C; in summer, on the other hand, temperatures even rise above
30 °C, with poor ventilation which accentuates the feeling of
sultriness.
Rainfall in the Aosta Valley is scarce, especially
when compared with the other regions of the Alpine sector, as the winds
that blow most frequently come from the west and unload their moisture
content on the western slopes of the Alps. The innermost valleys
enclosed between imposing reliefs are very dry. To remedy the scarcity
of rainfall, large irrigation canalization works called Rûs (pron. "rü",
also in the plural) were built from the early Middle Ages and are still
used today.
The first human settlements, found in the Saint-Pierre area, date
back to the 4th millennium BC. The megalithic area of
Saint-Martin-de-Corléans in Aosta and the Cromlech of Piccolo San
Bernardo are two other important prehistoric archaeological sites in the
region.
Originally inhabited by the Salassi, Valle d'Aosta was
conquered by Roman troops. In 25 BC. Augusta Prætoria Salassorum,
today's Aosta, was founded. The arch of Augustus, the Porta Praetoria
and the other Roman gates, the forum and the Roman theatre, the city
walls and the towers are some of the numerous finds from the Roman era
which give Aosta the title of "Rome of the Alps" . With the advent of
Christianity, at the end of the 4th century Aosta became a bishopric,
first belonging to the archdiocese of Vercelli and then, until the 8th
century, to the metropolitan church of Milan.
Following the fall
of the Western Roman Empire, Valle d'Aosta was initially under the
dominion of Odoacer and then became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom
under King Theodoric. After the Gothic War, Valle d'Aosta was annexed to
the Praetorian Prefecture of Italy and was finally conquered by Alboin's
troops in 568, becoming part of the Lombard Kingdom. Taking advantage of
the period of anarchy following the death of Clefi, the Merovingian
Gontrano, king of the Franks of Orleans, defeated the Lombards, annexing
Aosta and Susa in 575. Following the conquest of the Lombard kingdom by
Charlemagne in 774, Aosta and Susa followed the fortunes of the kingdom
of Italy. Under the Carolingian Empire, the Via Francigena developed, a
pilgrimage route from northern Europe to Rome, accomplished by crossing
the Gran San Bernardo hill. Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, Aosta, Pontey and
Pont-Saint-Martin are stages mentioned by Sigeric of Canterbury in 990.
By the will of Otto I of Saxony, who intended to guarantee himself
free access to the kingdom of Italy, in 972 Aosta was assigned to his
brother-in-law Conrad III of Burgundy and remained part of the kingdom
of Burgundy until 1032. As a consequence, political relations were
consolidated , economic and commercial towards the other side of the
Alps. In the long run, Franco-Provençal dialects spread and developed in
the Aosta Valley similar to those spoken in Savoy, in the Dauphiné and
in present-day Romandy Switzerland.
The tower of the lords of
Quart, in Aosta
In 1032 the Savoys took possession of Valle d'Aosta,
subsequently incorporating it into the Duchy of Savoy and then into the
Kingdom of Sardinia, maintaining uninterrupted control of it, except for
brief French periods. This period, until the 14th century, saw the
development of a hospital network for assistance to pilgrims along the
communication routes that crossed the valley. The first invasion dates
back to 1691 by Louis XIV, but the valley remained under the control of
the Savoy. The second French invasion took place in 1704, during the War
of the Spanish Succession, and lasted until 1706 with the Savoy victory
in the battle of Turin. The third invasion was the work of Napoleon.
Following the battle of Marengo in 1800, the Valley was annexed to
France and then incorporated into the first French Empire, where it
formed the Arrondissement of Aosta, forming part of the Département de
la Doire (with Ivrea as its capital). Following the definitive defeat of
Napoleon, Valle d'Aosta returned under Savoy rule in 1814.
The first human settlements, found in the Saint-Pierre area, date
back to the 4th millennium BC. The megalithic area of
Saint-Martin-de-Corléans in Aosta and the Cromlech of Piccolo San
Bernardo are two other important prehistoric archaeological sites in the
region.
Originally inhabited by the Salassi, Valle d'Aosta was
conquered by Roman troops. In 25 BC. Augusta Prætoria Salassorum,
today's Aosta, was founded. The arch of Augustus, the Porta Praetoria
and the other Roman gates, the forum and the Roman theatre, the city
walls and the towers are some of the numerous finds from the Roman era
which give Aosta the title of "Rome of the Alps" . With the advent of
Christianity, at the end of the 4th century Aosta became a bishopric,
first belonging to the archdiocese of Vercelli and then, until the 8th
century, to the metropolitan church of Milan.
Following the fall
of the Western Roman Empire, Valle d'Aosta was initially under the
dominion of Odoacer and then became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom
under King Theodoric. After the Gothic War, Valle d'Aosta was annexed to
the Praetorian Prefecture of Italy and was finally conquered by Alboin's
troops in 568, becoming part of the Lombard Kingdom. Taking advantage of
the period of anarchy following the death of Clefi, the Merovingian
Gontrano, king of the Franks of Orleans, defeated the Lombards, annexing
Aosta and Susa in 575. Following the conquest of the Lombard kingdom by
Charlemagne in 774, Aosta and Susa followed the fortunes of the kingdom
of Italy. Under the Carolingian Empire, the Via Francigena developed, a
pilgrimage route from northern Europe to Rome, accomplished by crossing
the Gran San Bernardo hill. Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, Aosta, Pontey and
Pont-Saint-Martin are stages mentioned by Sigeric of Canterbury in 990.
By the will of Otto I of Saxony, who intended to guarantee himself
free access to the kingdom of Italy, in 972 Aosta was assigned to his
brother-in-law Conrad III of Burgundy and remained part of the kingdom
of Burgundy until 1032. As a consequence, political relations were
consolidated , economic and commercial towards the other side of the
Alps. In the long run, Franco-Provençal dialects spread and developed in
the Aosta Valley similar to those spoken in Savoy, in the Dauphiné and
in present-day Romandy Switzerland.
In 1032 the Savoys took
possession of Valle d'Aosta, subsequently incorporating it into the
Duchy of Savoy and then into the Kingdom of Sardinia, maintaining
uninterrupted control of it, except for brief French periods. This
period, until the 14th century, saw the development of a hospital
network for assistance to pilgrims along the communication routes that
crossed the valley. The first invasion dates back to 1691 by Louis XIV,
but the valley remained under the control of the Savoy. The second
French invasion took place in 1704, during the War of the Spanish
Succession, and lasted until 1706 with the Savoy victory in the battle
of Turin. The third invasion was the work of Napoleon. Following the
battle of Marengo in 1800, the Valley was annexed to France and then
incorporated into the first French Empire, where it formed the
Arrondissement of Aosta, forming part of the Département de la Doire
(with Ivrea as its capital). Following the definitive defeat of
Napoleon, Valle d'Aosta returned under Savoy rule in 1814.
On March 24, 1860, the Treaty of Turin ceded the County of Nice and
the Duchy of Savoy to France, while the Valle d'Aosta remained in the
Kingdom of Sardinia, the only area of Franco-Provençal language and
Francophone culture in the newly born unified Italian state. The news of
the plebiscite in Savoy aroused great unease in Valle d'Aosta, becoming
the cause of great bitterness not only for the Valle d'Aosta Church, but
also on the liberal side. Prominent personalities such as the abbè Henry
highlighted the depth of the rift, comparing the separation between
Savoy and Valle d'Aosta to that of two sisters. Further evidence of the
discomfort is the letter, published on June 7 in the newspaper
"L'Impartial", in which an anonymous person presents a reasoning to
support the need for the annexation of the Valle d'Aosta to France as
well. The proposal fails without having any follow-up, but the
annexationist option was in any case publicly and clearly advanced.
On 17 March 1861 the unity of Italy was proclaimed.
The Valle
d'Aosta participated in the First World War. Hundreds of refugees,
especially children, from Trento and Trieste, were welcomed in the
valley. The war dead ascertained on the basis of ministerial data were
776, later estimates spoke of a much higher number of fallen, up to the
figure of 1,557.
On December 30, 1920, the first Combat Fascio
was formed in Aosta, in the presence of Cesare Maria De Vecchi.
Following the coming to power of Benito Mussolini, the Italianization
policy was launched. The Provincial School Council of Turin ordered the
suppression of 268 village schools (in French, écoles de hameau), with
the aim of centralizing and Italianising education in the Aosta Valley
(53 village schools were reopened after lengthy negotiations). At the
same time massive industrialization was promoted, with the inauguration
of the railway tunnel between Cogne and Acque Fredde for the transport
of iron ore from the mines, the foundation of Ansaldo-Cogne and
Industrie Lamiere Speciali SpA in Pont-Saint-Martin. Thanks to
immigration from the rest of Italy, the resident population in Valle
d'Aosta at the 1931 census amounted to 83,479 inhabitants, over 50% of
whom were born outside the Valle (mostly from Piedmont and Veneto).
In 1937 the revision of the city toponymy in Aosta began, modifying
the name of streets and squares and in 1939 a proposal was drawn up to
Italianize the toponym of the 74 Valle d'Aosta Municipalities; the
initiative was taken in controversy against France, accused of
conducting an anti-Italian campaign.
The declaration of war on
France on 10 June 1940, which marked the beginning of the Second World
War for Italy, was welcomed by the Aosta Valley "with little enthusiasm,
indeed with coldness", according to the words of the questore of Aosta,
Vittorio Labbro.
A few days after the 1943 armistice, the first clandestine meeting
was organized in which the foundations of the armed resistance were
laid. Émile Chanoux, having returned to Aosta from Chambéry, where he
had fled, resumed contact with the anti-fascists to establish the
modalities and aims of the Aosta Valley Resistance. Meanwhile, the
institutions of the Italian Social Republic were being established.
On May 18, 1944 Émile Chanoux and Lino Binel, another member of the
Valle d'Aosta Resistance, were arrested. Chanoux died in the night,
following the tortures suffered (there are also other versions, but the
one indicated is the most accredited). Binel was deported to Germany.
Several clashes followed between the Resistance and the Nazi-fascists.
It was the period of maximum expansion of the Aosta Valley Resistance
which according to the most reliable estimates gathered almost three
thousand partisans. On May 2, 1945, the Chief of Staff of the General
Command of the 75th German Army Corps signed in Biella the surrender of
the German and fascist troops present in the areas of Biella, Ivrea and
Aosta. Valle d'Aosta was entirely liberated through the exclusive work
of the partisan movement.
In the Algiers memorandum of 1943,
France had asserted its claims against Italy, proposing the
"rattachement total à la France" for the Aosta Valley. Some exponents of
the Valle d'Aosta Resistance were approached by the French secret
services to probe the aspirations regarding a possible annexation to
France. For the majority pro-Italian exponents of the Resistance (among
them Federico Chabod), it was an opportunity to reiterate the
extraneousness of the Aosta Valley to the history of France and the
political and economic danger of an annexation to the most centralist
nation of Europe and to elaborate the project of an original
institutional location of the Valle d'Aosta within the new Italian State
which would arise at the end of the war.
In January 1946, the
Royal Legislative Decree of the Lieutenancy of 7 September 1945, n. 545,
which established the district of Valle d'Aosta and suppressed the
province of Aosta. Valle d'Aosta was returned by the allied military
government to the administration of the Italian government.
On 1 January 1946 the district of Valle d'Aosta was established and
the province of Aosta was suppressed. On 30-31 January 1948 the
Constituent Assembly discussed and approved the constitutional bill
concerning the Special Statute for Valle d'Aosta, which was promulgated
on 26 February.
In 1981 the new "Financial Regulation of the
Valle d'Aosta" was approved. The provision originally envisaged
assigning 7/10 of the taxes collected by the State in Valle d'Aosta to
the Autonomous Region, but an amendment brought the share due to the
Region to 9/10.