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: Valle d'Aosta
Regions of Italy
It is the tiniest Italian region, set up by detachment from Piedmont (1948). We are dealing with a mixed ethnic region and with a Special Statute, a jealous feeling about its self government and 119,000 inhabitants. That is, the lowest demographic density of the Peninsula, along [...]
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It is the tiniest Italian region, set up by detachment from Piedmont (1948). We are dealing with a mixed ethnic region and with a Special Statute, a jealous feeling about its self government and 119,000 inhabitants. That is, the lowest demographic density of the Peninsula, along with enclaves and minorities of Germanic (walser) and Francophone (patois) origins.
Beautiful and abounding of tourism thanks to its mountains (Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, Cervino), the Aosta Valley is full of green and brilliant dales (Ferret, Valtournenche, Veny, Cogne valley, Thuile valley and Ayas valley), shaped in centuries by the shifting of great glaciers, found nowadays at high altitudes only, confined on the highest summits.
In ancient times it was dwelled by Salasses (a hybrid ethnic group of Gauls and Ligures), and later considered by Rome a crucial gateway to North-East, in order to control the Gaul invasions. The Valley was therefore definitely conquered by Augustus in 25 B.C., who rebuilt Aosta as a fortress, based on the Roman military pattern (Augusta Praetoria). During the Middle Age the city was raided by Burgundians, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Longobards, Francs: this melting pot gave rise to the different Franc-Provencal speeches. In the modern Age it became a satellite of the House of Savoy, despite mantaining a wide autonomy.
Monasteries, castles, shelters, ancient massive and square fortresses: the landscape of this region is various and animated with highlands and summits, among firs and pines. Vacation resorts are uncountable and lovely. First to be mentioned, Courmayeur, Cervinia, La Thuile, Gressoney, Champoluc, Cogne. Mountaneering, skiing and winter sports in general are the most practised, but even in the summertime you may experience lovely trips, powered as well, for instance on a “Quad“: a nice roofless two-seated veichle, with handle-bar and 4 enormous wheels, suitable for cliffs, steep rocks and off-roads in general, very trendy among the young.
