There Valle d’Aosta It is a region with a special statute of theNorth-western Italy. His identity is strongly conditioned by territory mountain on which it stands: the region is in fact the smallest in Italy by surface (3 258.61 km2) and is entirely enclosed by the highest reliefs of the Alpine arc, in particular by the sections of the Alps Pendant And Grayin the sector of Western Alps.
The common imagination that refers to the Aosta Valley is not too different from the landscape and cultural reality of the territory. The Alpswith 4 tops above 4000 meters -Mont Bianco, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso -, frame every corner of the region considered the roof of Europe and characterized by an important presence of environment wildat the same time emblematic and diversified. Irce peaks beaten by the wind, green alpine pastures, extensive forests, streams and glacial lakes are the context in which numerous historical and cultural treasures of the region are inserted. Between legends and typical dishes, we see the 10 curiosities.
10 curiosities about the Aosta Valley
1. Because the Aosta Valley is called that
Unlike the denomination of many other Italian regions, whose nebulous origins are lost in the mists of time, between names of ancient populations and toponyms in forgotten languages, theorigin of that of the Aosta Valley is rather intuitive.
The name derives, in fact, from the city and capital Aostatransformation of Augusta Praetoriafounded by the Romans in the 25 AC during the progressive conquest of Gaul. Valle d’Aosta refers, literally, to the valley surrounding the city of Aosta.
2. The smallest region in Italy
The Aosta Valley is the the smallest region of Italy from all points of view. The surface equal to 3 258.61 km2 It is the least of those of all twenty Italian regions, as is its population of 122 714 inhabitants. To make a comparison with the largest regions, the surface of the Aosta Valley is approximately 8 times smaller of that of Sicily (which has the largest extension), while its population is little more than1% of that of Lombardy (the most populous region of the country). The population density, despite the unscrupulous territory, is of 38 inhabitants per square kilometer. Again, density is the lowest of the entire peninsula.
3. The Aosta Valley has no provinces
The Region is the only one in Italy a do not be divided into the provinces (or in other equivalent administrative bodies). Given the reduced extension of the territory, in fact, the entire regional border corresponds roughly with the area of influence of the capital and the management of the territory at this level is coordinated directly by the regional offices. The division into municipalities is equally present and the Aosta Valley counts for it 74.
4. The roof of Europe
If from an anthropic point of view, the Aosta Valley is for numbers to the latest positions in the Italian ranking, from a geographical point of view, the regional territory brings us back completely opposite records. The Region is often associated with the appellation that is also used to indicate the Mont Bianco namely that of “roof of Europe“. This is because the Region includes in its borders i reliefs (or their portions) highest in Italy and Europefirst of all, in fact, the Mont Biancowith his 4 805.59 meters above sea level. In addition to this, the regional territory is the Mountain Rose (4 634 m), also shared with Switzerland and Piedmont, and the Matterhorn (4 478 m), always on the border with Switzerland. The Aosta Valley also boasts thehigher average altitude of the entire country2 100 meters.
5. The oldest national park in Europe
Between Valle d’Aosta and Piedmont we find the Gran Paradiso National Park, the National Park older in Italy and Europe. Established in a first form in 1821, the protected area had as its objective Safeguarding of the ibexat the time being extinction due to the uncontrolled hunting. The really curious fact is that the choice to establish the park was not moved by a general awareness of the environmental problems of the Alpine ecosystems, but by the simple desire of the then sovereigns of the House Savoy to constitute aExclusive Private Right reserve. The thing today actually has little importance, as this allowed the Survival of the Alps ibexcieswhich have become a symbol of the protected area today.
The Gran Paradiso National Park was officially instituted the December 3, 1922 (the first in Europe) from King Vittorio Emanuele III, nephew of the first king of Italy. Today includes an over surface 700 km2 of the mountain environment modeled by the great glaciations of the Quaternary and numerous plant and animal species: in addition to the famous ibex, we can find chamois, marmots, foxes, real eagles, bitters, allied, owls and numerous species of reptiles and amphibians.
6. The glaciers of the Aosta Valley
In one of the most mountainous regions in Italy they could obviously not be missing glaciers. The Aosta Valley matters well 184 covering an area of about 120 km2: more than half of the extension of glaciers throughout the country! Most are found in the main massifs, those of Mountain Roseof Mountain White and of the Large Paradisewhich include a great variety of these perennial snow formations, constituting not only an important environmental treasure and a remarkable reserve of fresh water, but also a geological complex of great scientific interest.
7. Monte Rosa is not pink
Although you often think that the term rose Of the mountain of the same name is associated with the coloring of the relief during the dawn and sunset, the truth is another. However, let’s make a clarification: from the Po Valley you can really observe this imposing massif coated with shades red, rose And orange During the hours when the sun rises or falls, but the choice of the name has a completely different origin. The modern term, which appears for the first time between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (Monte della Roisa), seems to refer to the ancient etymology of roiza or roiza and that is glacieror, ice. Monte Rosa would therefore mean more than anything else, “mountain icy“.
8. The patois
By virtue of its impervious mountain territory, size and, above all, its border position, the Aosta Valley is one Region with special statute. The Region includes two official languages, theItalian and the Frenchto which is added a FrancoproVenzale linguistic variety known as patois (pronounced patuà). The Aosta Valley Potois is still widespread in various Valley locations. It is an ancient language, which has been handed down from generation to generation and which still characterizes a strong identity in local culture. It is used during some religious celebrations and also in the media, such as periodicals, television networks and radio.
9. Lo Tsan, the Valle d’Aosta baseball
The Aosta Valley boasts several traditional sportsamong which we find the more or less known tsan. The name derives from patois and refers to the alpine “field” on which it is historically played, it is a sport that has its roots in the peasant culture of mountain communities. We are talking about a team sport that recalls the well -known baseball, in which two formations of 12 players each alternate in stages of attack And defensehitting and intercepting, in different moments of play, it tsanwhich also gives its name to the wooden ball.
The Wooden game tools are traditionally made in an artisanal way and include: the Pertsea seedling a few meters long and curved that serves to support the tsan During the beat phase, and the Batonone wooden bat with which the Tsan supported the Pertse is hit. The sources quote it tsan Already in documents of the 1600s, but since the activity was practiced for centuries by the shepherds during the long stops in the meadows of the most remote mountain resorts it is perfectly logical to imagine that it is instead much older.
10
The Aosta Valley is the land of fortifications which date back to the most disparate historical periods and the Strengthened by Bard It is certainly one of the most famous castles. The imposing construction, which dominates the homonymous village with its size, is a fortified complex built in the 19th century by the dynasty of Savoy on the basis of previous fortifications that seem to trace the time of the Germanic population of Ostrogoths. The position is in fact historically strategic and puts the Po Valley with the Southern side of the Western Alps.
The landscape effect that returns the fortification is so impactful that the Fort of Bard was even chosen as the location in the American colossal Avengers: Age of Ultronin which he appears in the very first sequences of the film as the basis of the feared Hydra during the siege of the famous Avengers.
