Entracque

Last updated
Entracque
Comune
Comune di Entracque
Entracque1.jpg
Entracque-Stemma.png
Coat of arms
Italy provincial location map 2015.svg
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Entracque
Location of Entracque in Italy
Coordinates: 44°15′N7°24′E / 44.250°N 7.400°E / 44.250; 7.400 Coordinates: 44°15′N7°24′E / 44.250°N 7.400°E / 44.250; 7.400
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
Province Cuneo (CN)
Government
  Mayor Roberto Gosso
Area [1]
  Total 159.9 km2 (61.7 sq mi)
Elevation [2] 894 m (2,933 ft)
Highest elevation 3,297 m (10,817 ft)
Lowest elevation 792 m (2,598 ft)
Population (31 July 2010) [1]
  Total 857
  Density 5.4/km2 (14/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Entracquesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code12010
Dialing code 0171
Website Official website

Entracque is a small town in the Valle Gesso of the Maritime Alps of north-west Italy, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Cuneo and close to the French border. It is the principal settlement and capoluogo of the comune or municipality of the same name (population 855) in the Piedmontese Province of Cuneo.

Valle Gesso valley

Valle Gesso is a valley in the Maritime Alps, located in the Italian province of Cuneo and crossed by the Gesso torrent.

Maritime Alps mountains in France

The Maritime Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria. They are the southernmost part of the Alps.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.

Contents

At the time of the 2001 census over 90 percent of the then 848 inhabitants of the comune were found in Entracque itself. The remaining 68 were dispersed among 11 hamlets, none of which had more than 13 inhabitants, or lived in isolated dwellings. [2]

Entracque borders the following municipalities: Belvédère (France), La Brigue (France), Limone Piemonte, Roaschia, Saint-Martin-Vésubie (France), Valdieri, and Vernante.

Belvédère Commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France

Belvédère is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. The village of Belvédère is an attractive village sitting above the river Vésubie at the entrance of the Gordolasque valley.

La Brigue Commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France

La Brigue is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.

Limone Piemonte Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Limone Piemonte is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Turin and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Cuneo, on the border with France. As of September 2017, it had a population of 1,476 and an area of 71.3 square kilometres (27.5 sq mi).

The comune is the site of the Entracque Power Plant, one of the biggest hydroelectric power stations in Italy.

Entracque Power Plant

The Entracque Power Plant, also known as The Upper Gesso Plant, is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in Valle Gesso just south of Entracque, Italy. The power station contains pump-generators for two co-located but hydraulically separated power schemes; the Chiotas-Piastra Plant and Rovina-Piastra Plant. Both plants use separate upper reservoirs but use Lago della Piastra as their common lower reservoir. To produce power, water is released from the upper reservoirs to the power station located at the lower reservoir. The pump-generators re-fill the reservoirs and the process repeats as needed. The Chiotas' upper reservoir, Lago del Chiotas, is located much higher in the valley and larger than Rovina's Lago della Rovina which affords it the ability to produce more electricity. The installed capacity of Chiotas is 1,184 megawatts (1,588,000 hp) with a hydraulic head of 1,048 m (3,438 ft) while Rovina has an installed capacity of 133.67 megawatts (179,250 hp) and a head of 598 metres (1,962 ft). Construction on the plant began in 1962 and operations started in 1982. It is owned and operated by Enel.

Hydroelectricity in Italy

Italy is the world's 14th largest producer of hydroelectric power, with a total of 50,582 GWh produced in 2010. Electric energy from hydro accounted for about 18% of the national electricity production in 2010.

Tourism

Entracque started to be a mountain touristic resort in the late 19th century, when the house of Savoy used the valley as a game reserve. Today Entracque addresses both winter and summer tourism. It has one of the biggest Italian cross ski areas and also has two lifts for alpine skiing.

Natural Park of the Maritime Alps

The village is also part of the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime (Natural Park of the Maritime Alps). It is one of the few pan-European parks (the French side is the National Park of Mercantour).

Monte Argentera, the highest peak in the Maritime Alps, is located in the municipal territory.

Monte Argentera mountain in Italy

Monte Argentera is a mountain in the Maritime Alps, in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, northern Italy. With an elevation of 3,297 metres (10,817 ft), it is the highest peak in the range.

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