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 Valle d'Aosta
A vertical region, you might say. And not just in the physical sense, for the
many high peaks that surround it (including Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in
Europe at 4,807 meters), but also for the surprising concentration, in a region
of such reduced dimensions, of so many natural splendors, so many monuments, so
much precious historic and artistic heritage, a density which evokes, in its
vertical aspect, the crowding of skyscrapers in a metropolis where horizontal
urban space is scarce and precious.
Aosta, the regional capital and the
only province of the Valley, is a city rich in history. Traces of the ancient
Augusta Pretoria (the Latin name of Aosta) can easily be seen, such
as the great Arch of Augustus (25 B.C.) and the remains of the Roman
Theatre.
For Aosta the Middle Ages were anything but dark: as an
important center of commercial traffic with France and Switzerland, the city
enjoyed a long period of prosperity. It is no coincidence that the Cathedral and
Cathedral Church of S. Orso, two churches of great beauty, date back to
the Middle Ages. Other medieval monuments lie at the feet of the city: the
castle of Fénis and, in the vicinity of Saint-Vincent (the
location of a famous casino, the castle of Issogne, whose unusually rich
frescoes and architecture confirm the prosperity of that time.
 The natural
landscapes of the Valley are fabulous: from the imposing peaks of Mont Blanc
to the fascinating harshness of Cervino (4,478 meters), from the
spectacular Monte Rosa (so called due to color assumed by its great glaciers at
certain times) to the Gran Paradiso, the high mountain at the center of
the huge Natural Park of the same name (over 200,000 hectares).The holiday towns
and ski resorts of the Valley are long-established and well-known: Courmayeur
and Breuil-Cervinia are the most famous.
By ENIT Official Website
 This great deep furrow between the highest mountains in Europe, is watered by the
Dora Baltea River whose tributaries form picturesque lateral valleys: the
Valtournenche, Val di Gressoney, Val d'Ayas, Val Grisenche.
Aosta, well situated in the center of the valley, is the capital of this region
which has enjoyed a certain degree of administrative authority since 1947. In
addition to the pastoral activities of the mountain people and the iron mines at
Cogne, the valley's economy depends primarily on tourism which has developed as
a result of the Great St Bernard and Mont Blanc Tunnels.
From Pont-St-Martin to Courmayeur the local population - essentially mountain people and shepherds -
remain attached to their traditions and have retained their French family names.
Many still speak French and other varied dialects.
From the Michelin Green Guide to Italy
Aguille Brenva
Festivals
in Valle d'Aosta
Official Tourist Boards - AIAT della Valle d'Aosta
- Useful links
food in Aosta Valley |
wine in Aosta Valley
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(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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