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 it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of northern Italy, located between the

Graian Alps , it, Alpi Graie , photo = , photo_caption = , country_type = Countries , country = , subdivision1_type = Provinces/Regions , subdivision1 = , parent = Alps , borders_on = ...

in the north and the

Cottian Alps The Cottian Alps (; french: Alpes Cottiennes ; it, Alpi Cozie ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France (Hautes-Alpes and Savoie) and Italy (Piedmont). The Fréjus Road Tunnel and Fréjus Ra ...

in the south. It is one of the longest valleys of the

Italian Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

. It extends over in an east-west direction from the French border to the outskirts of

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

. The valley takes its name from the city of Susa which lies in the valley. The

Dora Riparia The Dora Riparia (; pms, Dòira Rivaira; french: Doire Ripaire or ''Doire''; la, Duria minor) is an alpine river, a left-hand tributary of the Po. It is long (of which 5 km in France), with a drainage basin. It originates in the Cottian ...

river, a tributary of the Po, flows through the valley. A motorway runs through the valley from Turin to

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the prefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The population of the commune of Chambéry was 58,917 as of 2019, while the population of the Chamb ...

in France through the Fréjus tunnel or by crossing the Col du Mont Cenis (2083m), and to

Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an altitude of , based on the national definition as a community cont ...

, also in France, over the

Col de Montgenèvre The Col de Montgenèvre (; elevation 1860 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, in France 2 kilometres away from Italy. Description The pass takes its name from the village Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes), which lies in the vicinity ...

Geography

Peaks that surround the valley include: * Pointe de Ronce - 3,612 m *

Rocciamelone Rocciamelone ( pms, Ròcia-mlon, french: Rochemelon or ''Roche Melon'') is a 3,538 m high mountain in Piedmont, Italy, near the border between Italy and France. Geography Rocciamelone is located between Val di Susa and Maurienne, 50&nbs ...

- 3,538 m * Pierre Menue - 3,506 m *

Rognosa d'Etiache , photo = Rognosa d'Etiache.JPG , photo_caption = View from Rifugio Scarfiotti , elevation_m = 3382 , map = Alps , map_caption = Alps , label_position = right , coordinates = , elevation_ref = Geoportale IGM owww.pcn.minambiente.it/ref> ...

- 3,382 m *

Punta Sommeiller Punta Sommeiller (in Italian) or Pointe Sommeiller (in French) is a mountain of the Province of Turin, Italy and of Savoie, France. It lies in the Cottian Alps range. It has an elevation of above sea level. Etymology The old name of the mount ...

- 3,332 m *

Punta Ramiere The Punta Ramiere (in Italian) or Bric Froid (in French) is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the department of Hautes-Alpes ( FR) and the province of Turin ( IT). It's the highest peak of the long stretch of the Po/ Rhone water di ...

- 3,303 m *

Mont Chaberton Mont Chaberton is a peak in the French Alps in the group known as the Massif des Cerces in the département of Hautes-Alpes. Geography The mountain is located close to the main chain of the Alps where it marks the Dora-Durance water divide, ...

- 3,131 m *

Monte Orsiera Monte Orsiera is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the Province of Turin (Italy). Etymology The English translation of ''Monte Orsiera'' can be ''Mountain of the bears'', an animal which in Piedmont became extinct between the end o ...

- 2,890 *

Punta Lunella The Punta Lunella is a mountain of the Graian Alps, with an elevation of 2,772 m.Geoportale IGM owww.pcn.minambiente.it/ref> Toponymy In 1831 the mountain was named ''Punta Cruvin'' by the topographer Maggi after a nearby mountain pastures ...

- 2,272 m *

Monte Colombano Monte Colombano (in Piedmontese mont Colombon ) is a mountain in the Alpi di Lanzo, a sub-group of the Graian Alps, with an elevation of 1,658 m. Geography The mountain is located between the Val Casternone, the Val di Viù and the ...

- 1,658 m *

Monte Musinè Monte Musinè or simply Musinè (in Piedmontese language, Piedmontese mont Musinè) is a mountain in the Graian Alps in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, north Italy. Musinè is well known for the high cross on its peak, as well as for ...

- 1,150 m

History

During the Roman age,

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

formed an alliance with the

Segusini The Segusini (Gaulish: *''Segusinoi'', 'those of Segusio') were a Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Susa, in the Alpes Cottiae, during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Segosianō̃n'' (Σεγοσιανῶν) Strabo (early 1st c. ...

Cottii Regnum Cottii Regnum was a small independent kingdom in northwestern Italy. It included most of an important road over the pass of Mont Genevre and Mont Cenis into Gaul. The pass was in use by about 100 BC. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar met with some resistan ...

to link Italy and France by building a road through the Valley and over the Col de Montgenevre. During the Middle Ages, the road was called

Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...

, and pilgrims arriving from France passed through

Mont Cenis Mont Cenis ( it, Moncenisio) is a massif (el. 3,612 m / 11,850 ft at Pointe de Ronce) and a pass (el. 2,085 m / 6,840 ft) in Savoie (France), which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps. Route The term "Mont Cenis" cou ...

and the Susa Valley on their way to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. It was one of the most used Alpine passes from the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century. Several

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

s were built to accommodate pilgrims, such as

Novalesa Abbey Novalesa Abbey ( it, Abbazia di Novalesa) is a Benedictine monastery in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. It was founded in 726, and dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Andrew. Novalesa is in the Val di Susa, on the route to the ...

founded in 726AD on the foot of a mountain and the monumental

Sacra di San Michele The Sacra di San Michele, sometimes known as Saint Michael's Abbey, is a religious complex on Mount Pirchiriano, situated on the south side of the Val di Susa in the territory of the municipality of Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, in the Metropolitan Ci ...

abbey.

Main sights

Sacra di San Michele e monti Valle di Susa

(Saint Michael's Abbey), established in the 11th century on the top of Pirchiriano Mountain, at the valley's entrance from Turin. *

, established by Patrice

Abbo of Provence Abbo was the Patrician of Provence in opposition to Maurontus in the 730s. He was also ''rector'' of Maurienne and Susa. Abbo came from the family of Waldelenus in the Besançon. They controlled the Alpine passes of Susa, Embrun, and Gap. A ...

in 726AD en route to the

Mont Cenis Pass , photo = Col du Mont Cenis.jpg , photo_caption = Lake at the pass , elevation_m = 2085 , elevation_ref = , traversed = Route nationale 6 , map = Alps , map_caption = Location of Col de Mont Cenis , map_size = , label = Col de Mont Ce ...

. *

Susa Cathedral , fullname = Cathedral of Saint Justus it, Cattedrale di San Giusto , other name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = , image = Susa Dom.jpg , imagesize = 250px , ...

, ancient San Giusto Abbey. in Susa, established by Olderico Manfredi in 1029. * Susa's Arch of Augustus, established in 8BC. * Montebenedetto Charterhouse (

Villar Focchiardo Villar Focchiardo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km west of Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural ...

), established in 1197. *Castle of Bruzolo, built in 1227. *Casaforte di Chianocco * Fort of Exilles Casaforte Chianocco da sud-est

Turin–Lyon high-speed railway

Protesters have fought a 10-year battle to prevent a rail tunnel being built through the valley.

References

{{Authority control Valleys of Piedmont Valleys of the Alps Metropolitan City of Turin Geographical, historical and cultural regions of Piedmont