The Val Chisone is one of the
Occitan valleys of western
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, situated in the
Cottian Alps in the
Metropolitan City of Turin
The Metropolitan City of Turin ( it, Città metropolitana di Torino, Piedmontese: ''Sità metropolitan-a 'd Turin'') is a metropolitan city in the Piedmont region, Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin. It replaced the Province of Turin and ...
in north-west
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
Geography
Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary b ...
and
Sestriere
Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) ( oc, Sestrieras, pms, Ël Sestrier, french: Sestrières) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, from the French border. Its name ...
. It is bounded by the
Val di Susa
The Susa Valley ( it, Val di Susa; pms, Valsusa; french: Val de Suse; oc, Val d'Ors) is a valley in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont region of northern Italy, located between the Graian Alps in the north and the Cottian Alps in the south ...
(to which it is connected by the
Sestriere
Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) ( oc, Sestrieras, pms, Ël Sestrier, french: Sestrières) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, from the French border. Its name ...
Pass, at ) to the north and east, the
Val Sangone to the north, the Val
Pellice to the south, while eastwards is the
plain of the Po Valley.
The valley is crossed by the
torrent
Torrent or torrents may refer to:
* A fast flowing stream
Animals
* Torrent duck, a species of the family Anatidae
* Torrent fish
* Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs
* Torrent robin, a bird species
* Torrent salamander, a family of sa ...
from which it takes its name, the
Chisone. The valley has a main branch, the
Valle Germanasca
The Valle Germanasca is a valley in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, north-western Italy run by the Germanasca stream, a right affluent of the Chisone.
The valley, in the past affected by a strong depopulation, is now partially characte ...
, and a smaller branch in the area of
Pragelato,
Parco naturale Val Troncea, a nature park, an ideal destination for hikers, snowshoe hikers and cross-country skiers.
History
For centuries the Val Chisone was an object of contention between the
Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The du ...
and the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
. The upper valley (Val
Pragelato) was part of the French
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois.
In the 12th centu ...
, while the lower valley (Val Perosa) was under Savoyard control. In 1631, the right shore of the Val Perosa was ceded to
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...
, returning under Savoy by the Peace of Turin (1696).
The upper Val Chisone was part of the semi-independent French state of the
Escartons Republic from 1343–1713. Pragelato was one of the five cantons. The Republic was annexed to Savoy in 1713.
The valley, together with Val Germanasca and Val Pellice, is home to a large
Waldensian community.
Tourism
Hiking
The valley has a lot of hiking destinations. Some of the most important mountains are:
*
Rognosa di Sestriere – 3,280 m
*
Monte Albergian
Monte Albergian is a 3,041 m a.s.l. mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Italy.
A battalion of 3rd Alpini Regiment, which during World War I earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor, was named after ''Monte Albergian''.
Etymology
The name ...
– 3,041 m
*
Bric Ghinivert – 3,037 m
* Monte Barifreddo – 3,028 m
*
Monte Politri
Monte Politri or Bric Rosso is a 3,026 m a.s.l. mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Italy.
Geography
The mountain is located on the ridge between Val Chisone (North) and Valle Germanasca (South). Going West an unnamed saddle at 2863 divi ...
– 3,026 m
* Monte Fraiteve – 2,701 m
* Monte Genevris – 2,356 m
*
Monte Orsiera – 2,878 m
* Punta Cristalliera – 2,801 m
*
Cima Ciantiplagna
The Cima Ciantiplagna is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the Province of Turin ( Italy).
Geography
The mountain stands on the long ridge which, starting from Sestriere, divides the Susa Valley from Chisone valley, W of the colle ...
– 2,849 m
* Becco dell'Aquila – 2,809 m
* Punta Vallette – 2,743 m
* Monte Français Pelouxe – 2,736 m
* Testa dell'Assietta – 2,566 m
* Grand Truc – 2,366 m
* Punta dell'Aquila – 2,119 m
Winter Sports
Val Chisone is renowned for winter sports: in 2006 several competitions within the
XX Olympic Winter Games
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
took place in Pinerolo, Pragelato and Sestriere.
Sestriere
Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) ( oc, Sestrieras, pms, Ël Sestrier, french: Sestrières) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, from the French border. Its name ...
's huge skiing area hosted the alpine skiing. The area is part of the
Via Lattea, a ski resort that comprises more than 163 skiing connected courses (41 blue, 92 red and 30 black slopes) and whose altitude ranges from in Cesana to on top of the Motta course.
Official Via Lattea website
/ref>
The slopes in Sestriere
Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) ( oc, Sestrieras, pms, Ël Sestrier, french: Sestrières) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, from the French border. Its name ...
also regularly host FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France ( ...
events.
Pragelato hosted cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...
, nordic combined
Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first ever Winter Olympics in 1924, while the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup ...
(cross-country skiing) and ski jumping
Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fina ...
.
The ski jumping area was used in the later years for other competitions.
Pragelato offers of touristic cross-country pistes from approximately above sea level.
Besides the link with Via Lattea through cableway, the municipality has its own alpine ski courses (one chairlift and three platter lifts).
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary b ...
hosted curling.
Some huts are open in winter and are a destination for snowshoe hikers:
* Rifugio Selleries – 2,030 m
Gallery
Torrente Chisone.jpg, River Chisone in Pragelato.
Forte Fenestrelle 0002.JPG, The fort of Fenestrelle.
References
External links
Photos of the Valley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chisone
Valleys of Piedmont
Valleys of the Alps