Alagna Valsesia

Coordinates: 45°51′14″N 7°56′14″E / 45.85389°N 7.93722°E / 45.85389; 7.93722
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Alagna Valsesia
Comune di Alagna Valsesia
Walser houses in the frazione Pedemonte
Walser houses in the frazione Pedemonte
Coat of arms of Alagna Valsesia
Location of Alagna Valsesia
Map
St. John the Baptist
WebsiteOfficial website
Tagliaferro 2,964 metres (9,724 ft) from passo dei Salati

Alagna Valsesia (

Milan–Malpensa Airport
(106 kilometres (66 mi)).

Since December 2005 a cable car connects Alagna with

AO) through the Passo dei Salati
.

History

Founded in the 13th century by a German population ("

Walser") descending from the north into the Italian valleys around Monte Rosa
, it has preserved today its atmosphere with several buildings built around 1500–1600 in a pure "Walser Style", still in perfect condition, built using local wood and stones (called 'Piode'). This spontaneous architecture has been totally preserved: the wooden cage around the building was in fact invented for putting the hay to dry out.

Main sights

The Church of Saint John the Baptist was built in 1511 and it has preserved many sculptures by Giovanni d'Enrico a famous Italian artist (1559–1644).

At the entrance of the town, there is the native house of Tanzio da Varallo (1575–1633), brother of Giovanni d'Enrico and one of the most famous Italian artists. His works are in the most prestigious art gallery in the world.

Mountaineering

The Monte Rosa just before Alagna

Alagna is one of the Alpine towns which have played a crucial role in the history of mountaineering. The Guides Association was founded in 1872 and it is the oldest in Italy second only to that of Courmayeur (1868). From the town started all the first expeditions on the close Monte Rosa; the first one was on 23 July 1801 when Pietro Giordani, a native of Alagna, reached the summit of the peak which now is called by his name (Giordani peak, 4,046 metres (13,274 ft)). In 1819 Zumstein reached the third-highest Monte Rosa peak (Zumstein peak, 4,563 metres (14,970 ft)). Finally between August the 8th and the 9th, the Alagna parish priest, reached, after three attempts, the fourth tallest peak of Monte Rosa and the highest in the Alagna Valley, the today called Gnifetti Peak (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)).

The mountaineering tradition is still alive:

Hervè Barmasse
and his father opened a new route on the south-east face of the Gnifetti peak 4,559 metres (14,957 ft), which is at the moment the most difficult route on this side of the massif and one of the most challenging in the entire group (800+ metres (2,600+ ft), VI, ED). Finally, Alagna is the starting point for reaching the Margherita hut, the highest hut in Europe, on the Gnifetti Peak top (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)).

Freeride world capital

Valsesia Valley seen from the Passo dei Salati 2,980 metres (9,780 ft).

Alagna is internationally known for being the freeride capital of the Alps. The reason for this great quantity of routes is in the particular morphological shape of the main valley, steep but at the same time with several lateral smaller valleys "Comb shape" which permit huge exploitation of the territory. Plus, thanks to the difference in height from the top of the ridges (Monte Rosa is 4,634 metres (15,203 ft)) to the bottom of the valley (Alagna itself is only at 1,191 metres (3,907 ft)), most routes cover a huge slope. The landscape is wild, severe and very impressive. The majority of the itineraries are around the

Punta Gnifetti (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)) and Punta Parrot
.

Skiing in Alagna Valsesia: the Monterosa ski resort

Telecabina Alagna Valsesia 1200m - Pianalunga 2050m
Alagna Valsesia, Funifor Salati

Alagna Valsesia is part of the huge Monterosa Ski area, a ski-resort at the feet of Monte Rosa which connects three different valleys in Piedmont and in Aosta Valley, with 180 km of runs. Through Passo dei Salati at an elevation of 2,980 metres (9,780 ft), Alagna is connected with Gressoney-La-Trinité and Champoluc. Since 2017, a new chair lift, brings from Cimalegna at an elevation of 3,030 metres (9,940 ft) just above the Passo dei Salati permitting direct access to the freerides routes in the Vallone delle Pisse.

References

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

External links