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Alagna Valsesia


The village of Alagna Valsesia rises at the foot of Monte Rosa. In its territory there is part of the Alta Valsesia Natural Park, which for the peculiarity of the altitude is called the "highest park in Europe". It is famous for the practice of mountaineering and especially for that of off-piste skiing (freeride) of which it has become a point of reference of international importance, attracting enthusiasts from all over the world.
  • Village in the mountain
  • Village with park
  • UNESCO heritage
  • Camper parking area
  • Orange Flag Countries
Alagna Valsesia  | Piero Monopoli/flickr
Alagna Valsesia
Piero Monopoli/flickr
Alagna Valsesia  | Unione Montana Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia
Unione Montana Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia  | JacStock/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
JacStock/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | In Green/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
In Green/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | Federico Rostagno/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
Federico Rostagno/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
gab90/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | JSansuk/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
JSansuk/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | newphotoservice/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
newphotoservice/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  | Unione Montana Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia
Unione Montana Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia  | JacStock/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia
JacStock/shutterstock
Alagna Valsesia  |
Alagna Valsesia
Alagna Valsesia  | matilde.l/flickr
Alagna Valsesia
matilde.l/flickr
Alagna Valsesia  |
Alagna Valsesia
A look at Alagna Valsesia
A look at Alagna Valsesia

About the village

The village of Alagna Valsesia in Piedmont (Im Land in the Walser; Alagna in Piedmont; Lagna in dialect valsesiano) is situated at the foot of Monte Rosa, the second highest mountain in the Alps, at about 1200 mt of altitude. In its territory is located part of the Alta Valsesia Natural Park, whose boundaries arrive up to Punta Gnifetti and then the hut observatory regina Margherita to over 4500 mt of altitude. The peculiarity of the share is defined the "highest park of Europe".. Is famous for mountaineering and especially for that of off-piste skiing (freeride) where he became a point of reference of international relevance, attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. The Germanic origin of the local population has certainly influenced the toponym that, according to some historians, derives from the German Land, in Italian land or country.

Alagna is one of the "German sentinels around the Pink", thus Horace Benedicte De Saussure defined the Walser settlements during his journey in the second half of the eighteenth century. The colonization by the part of the people coming from the swiss Valais dates back to the end of 1200. The newcomers took in rent lands used only as summer grazing by the populations more downstream and made permanently inhabited. This population was devoted to sheep farming and agriculture, and with its culture, its traditions and its characteristic rural buildings left a deep mark in many areas of the Valsesia. Year after year the settlers founded more than 20 fractions, still inhabited today, where the Nordic architectures in wood create color spots between the mountain vegetation at the foot of Monte Rosa. The warm hues of the larch centenary of the houses perfectly blends with the green of the meadows and wooded valleys and the white of the rushing waterfalls of crystal clear waters. Alagna is located at the base of the valleys Otro, Olen, Sesia, Mud and from here you numerous trails including those of connection with the Lys valley and then Gressoney and that of the Turlo that leads to Macugnaga. Born in that period the will to make habitable the Terre Alte and for this purpose the landowners rely on "colonizers of high altitude". So are remembered even today the Walser because they were the first to build villages inhabited stably over the 1000/1100 meters a.s.l. with their change the history of alpine anthropization. The Walser Community remained relatively isolated until the middle of the sixteenth century, but were not lacking contacts with the population valsesiana. This people brings with it the history, customs and language of origin alemanna, different with respect to the gentiles romance already present in the valley. For a long time it creates a wall between the two cultures and a consequent isolation of Walser that will customize increasingly the territory.

Toward the end of the sixteenth century a family of Varallo, the Scarognini, began the exploitation of gold mines nearby Alagna, activities which also involved the local population. The extractive activity including also silver and copper causing a substantial immigration of workers from the Valsesia, from Biella and from other areas of Piedmont. The language of the Walser is a particular variation of the dialect of southern German, called "highest alemanno", and is very similar to the dialect of Swiss German in its most archaic: The titzschu of Alagna Valsesia and Rimella in Valsesia is one of its three variants still existing in Italy.

The settlements near the parish church in the course of 1800, know a new development with the arrival of the first alpine tourism. Arise then the first hotels and elegant houses in masonry in liberty style. Alagna is experiencing a new era while maintaining their own culture. Its history is clearly legible on the territory and often merges with the present. Just walking among the ancient roads and paths you will meet numerous eco museum sites, as the Walser Museum, the Alagnese Union Theater, the sixteenth century watermills of Uterio, the old sawmill of Resiga, the sixteenth century parish church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the many fractional ovens present in the heart of every inhabited center. It is also part of the ski resorts of Monteroski that connects it to the Gressoney Valley and the Champoluc and is known as the Freeride paradise.

The Municipality of Alagna Valsesia
 
Province of Vercelli
Piedmont Region

Inhabitants: 431
Altitude center: 1191 m a.s.l.

The Municipality is part of:
 
Borghi Sostenibili del Piemonte
Unione montana della Valsesia

Acknowledgments
Orange Flag - Italian Touring Club

Protected Natural Areas:
Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette della Valsesia

Municipality
Frazione Centro 1 - Tel. 0163-922944

= distances as the crow flies

BY CAR

  • From Milan, highway A4, connection with A26, direction Gravellona Toce and exit Romagnano Ghemme. Then continue with the SS299 state road for Alagna.
  • From Turin, highway A4, connection with A26, direction Gravellona Toce and exit Romagnano Ghemme. Then continue with the SS299 state road for Alagna.
  • From Genoa, A26 Genova Gravellona Toce highway, Romagnano Ghemme exit. Then continue with the SS299 state road for Alagna.

The highway 299 for Alagna is easily passable and without too many curves. On almost all the road there is the speed limit of 50 km / h. From Varallo to get to Alagna are 36 km and can be covered in about 40 minutes. From the exit of the Romagnano Ghemme highway, 65 km are covered in about 90 minutes.

BY BUS

  • Milan-Novara-Varallo-Alagna line
  • Vercelli-Varallo-Alagna line

ON THE TRAIN

  • Novara or Vercelli railway station

  • Weekly Market: every thursday, in the center.
  • Closest Sunday to 24 June - Patronal Feast of San Giovanni Battista. In conjunction with the sacred celebration will be held for the Feast of the body Alpine Guides Alagna Valsesia. Historic uniforms of the body, musical band, traditional dresses recall the history of the mountain in a day of celebration and aggregation.
  • August - Commemoration of the bearers of the Monte Rosa with a demonstration at Col d’Olen, stopping place for mountain climbers toward the 4000 massif at the historic huts.

Sleep, eat, buy...

Albergo Ristorante Locanda dell'Orso
La Locanda dell'Orso proposes typical Piedmontese dishes for more than four generations in Fontan...
Corso Massimo Montano, 27 , Fontanetto Po (Vercelli)
75.91 Kilometers from Alagna Valsesia
= distances as the crow flies
Management Body of the Protected Areas of Valle Sesia
The Authority is entrusted with the management of two regional parks: the Natural Park of Alta Va...
Corso Roma, 35, Varallo (Vercelli)
25.13 Kilometers from Alagna Valsesia
= distances as the crow flies

Events

sunday
2
june, 2024

Fair of the Twin Stones

saturday
15
june, 2024

AMA Alagna-Margherita-Alagna

monday
24
june, 2024

San Giovanni Battista

monday
5
august, 2024

Feast of the Madonna della Neve, in the locality of Follu

sunday
29
september, 2024

San Michele Fair

sunday
6
october, 2024

Flowered Rosary Procession

friday
6
december, 2024

Feast of San Nicolao

Our news about Alagna Valsesia

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