Province of Sondrio

Last updated
Province of Sondrio
966SondrioPalGoverno.JPG
Flag of the Province of Sondrio.svg
Provincia di Sondrio-Stemma.svg
Sondrio in Italy.svg
Map highlighting the location of the province of Sondrio in Italy
CountryFlag of Italy.svg Italy
Region Lombardy
Capital(s) Sondrio
Comuni 78
Government
  PresidentElio Moretti
Area
  Total3,195.76 km2 (1,233.89 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2017)
  Total181,403
  Density57/km2 (150/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
  Total€5.149 billion (2015)
  Per capita€28,307 (2015)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Telephone prefix0342, 0343
Vehicle registration SO
ISTAT 014
Terraced fields in Valtellina Terrazzamenti in Valtelina.JPG
Terraced fields in Valtellina

The province of Sondrio (Italian : provincia di Sondrio) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403. [2]

Contents

History

Map with the grey area of Valchiavenna, Tre Pievi, Valtellina and Bormio ruled by the Three Leagues from 1512 to 1797 La-Repubblica-delleTre-Legh-es.svg
Map with the grey area of Valchiavenna, Tre Pievi, Valtellina and Bormio ruled by the Three Leagues from 1512 to 1797

The province was established in 1815, within the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, combining the valleys of Valtellina, Valchiavenna and Bormio.

Before the Roman conquest, the territory was inhabited by Celts (Lepontii) and Rhaetians (Camunni). The Romans included this area in their Cisalpine Gaul province.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it came under the control of the Lombards and was first ruled by feudal lords from the local area. [3] During the Middle Ages it belonged to the Kingdom of Italy. In the 14th century it fell under the rule of the Duchy of Milan due to the House of Visconti and House of Sforza. Sondrio and Valtellina were strategically important in the politics of Europe, especially in the sixteenth and 17th century religious wars, due to their connections to Europe by Sondrio's Spluga Pass and valleys. Upon the collapse of the Duchy of Milan, rule over Sondrio was exercised by the Swiss Canton of Graubünden. In the Valtellina War, Valtellina was invaded in 1622 by the Spanish Governor of Milan as the valleys had been used to transport troops around Europe; the Spanish efforts were assisted by a 1620 religious revolt in Valtellina against the Swiss. [3]

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) secured peace in the region and granted the region to the Canton of Graubünden. In 1797, the Republic of Valtellina was formed but was quickly conquered by the French to become a component of the Cisalpine Republic client state. The Congress of Vienna (1815) Sondrio and Valtellina as a province of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. As most of Lombardy region was absorbed into Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, Sondrio and Valtellina were also absorbed into Sardinia. [3]

Geography

Historical Lands of province of Sondrio Historical Lands of Province of Sondrio.svg
Historical Lands of province of Sondrio

The province of Sondrio is a mostly mountainous, sparsely populated area in the north of Lombardy. It borders on the Swiss Canton of Graubünden to the north, the provinces of Como and Lecco to the west, the province of Bergamo to the south and the provinces of Brescia, Trento and Bolzano to the east. The Rhaetian Alps are the highest mountains in Lombardy. The valleys mostly run from north to south, the main ones being the Valtellina and Valchiavenna. One of the main comuni (municipalities) is Livigno (1,800 m above sea level), which is a tourist centre in the summer and a ski resort in the winter. There are 78 comuni in the province, and Sondrio is the biggest town and the administrative centre. The Stelvio National Park is located in the north-eastern end of the province. [4]

The economy is based on construction, logging, quarrying, tourism and light industry. Workers from Switzerland commute to work in Sondrio, and other workers cross the border from Italy to join the Swiss workforce. [5] Throughout the province grapes have traditionally been grown, each district having its own local variety and producing its own local wine. It has been necessary for farmers to engineer terraces on the steep slopes, building dry stone retaining walls and moving earth to make the best use of terrain that is unsuitable for general agricultural purposes. The traditions of viticulture are embedded in the culture of the countryside.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lombardy</span> Region of Italy

Lombardy is an administrative region of Italy that covers 23,844 km2 (9,206 sq mi); it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is located between the Alps mountain range and tributaries of the river Po, and includes Milan, its capital, the largest metropolitan area in the country, and among the largest in the EU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grisons</span> Largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland

The Grisons or Graubünden, more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. It has eleven districts, and its capital is Chur. The German name of the canton, Graubünden, translates as the "Grey Leagues", referring to the canton's origin in three local alliances, the Three Leagues. The other native names also refer to the Grey League: Grischùn in Sutsilvan, Grischun in the other forms of Romansh, and Grigioni in Italian. Rhaetia is the Latin name for the area. The Alpine ibex is the canton's heraldic symbol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sondrio</span> City in Lombardy, Italy

Sondrio is an Italian city, comune and administrative centre for the province of Sondrio, located in the heart of the Valtellina. As of 2015, Sondrio counted approximately 21,876 inhabitants. In 2007, Sondrio was named the Alpine Town of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lombard language</span> Gallo-Italic language spoken in the Italian region of Lombardy

The Lombard language belongs to the Gallo-Italic group within the Romance languages and is characterized by a Celtic linguistic substratum and a Lombardic linguistic superstratum and is a cluster of homogeneous dialects that are spoken by millions of speakers in Northern Italy and southern Switzerland, including most of Lombardy and some areas of the neighbouring regions, notably the far eastern side of Piedmont and the extreme western side of Trentino, and in Switzerland in the cantons of Ticino and Graubünden. The language is also spoken in Santa Catarina in Brazil by Lombard immigrants from the Province of Bergamo, in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Forlì-Cesena</span> Province of Italy

The Province of Forlì-Cesena is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capitals are the cities of Forlì and Cesena. The province has a population of 394,273 as of 2016 over an area of 2,378.4 square kilometres (918.3 sq mi). It contains 30 comuni and the provincial president is Davide Drei. Although located close to the independent Republic of San Marino, Forlì-Cesena does not share a land border with the sovereign state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Como</span> Province of Italy

The province of Como is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the north, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and Lecco to the East, the province of Monza and Brianza to the south and the province of Varese to the West. The city of Como is its capital—other large towns, with more than 10,000 inhabitants, include Cantù, Erba, Mariano Comense and Olgiate Comasco. Campione d'Italia also belongs to the province and is enclaved in the Swiss canton of Ticino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valtellina</span> Valley in Northern Italy

Valtellina or the Valtelline ; Lombard: Valtelina or Valtulina; German: Veltlin; Italian: Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski centre, hot spring spas, bresaola, cheeses and wines. In past centuries it was a key Alpine pass between northern Italy and Germany. The control of the Valtellina was much sought after, particularly during the Thirty Years' War as it was an important part of the Spanish Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Varese</span> Province of Italy

The province of Varese is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese, but its largest city is Busto Arsizio. The headquarters of AgustaWestland, the company merged into Leonardo since 2016 and the world's largest producer of helicopters, is based in Samarate, a comune (municipality) of the province. As of 2015, it has a population of 889,410 inhabitants over an area of 1,198.11 square kilometres (462.59 sq mi). The province contains 139 comuni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Pavia</span> Province of Italy

The province of Pavia is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is Pavia. As of 2015, the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of 2,968.64 square kilometres (1,146.20 sq mi); the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Oristano</span> Province of Italy

The province of Oristano is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Oristano. It has an area of 3,040 square kilometres (1,170 sq mi), a total population of 160,746 (2016), and a population density of 53.7 people per square kilometer. There are 87 comuni in the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Arezzo</span> Province of Italy

The province of Arezzo is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo. The province is bordered by the regions of Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the provinces Siena and Florence of Tuscany. It has an area of 3,233 square kilometres (1,248 sq mi), a total population of about 344,000 in 36 comuni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canton of Raetia</span>

Raetia was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, corresponding to modern Graubünden and composed of the Free State of the Three Leagues. Until 1799, the canton was administered by the central government of the Helvetic Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirano</span> Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Tirano is a town and comune (municipality) in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy. It has 9,053 inhabitants (2016) and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy border. The river Adda flows through the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiavenna</span> Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Chiavenna or Claven; archaic German: Cläven or Kleven) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine Valchiavenna region. The historic town is a member of the Cittaslow movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiesa in Valmalenco</span> Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Chiesa in Valmalenco is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Milan and about 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. The English for "Chiesa in Valmalenco" is "Church in Valmalenco": it is the most important village of the Valmalenco valley . "Valmalenco" is a name of unsure origin. Local culture believes it originates from Celtic and Pre-Roman civilisations which share similar meanings: Celtic "Mal en ga", meaning “head pressed by water” and Pre-Roman "Mall-anko" which translates to Mountain river. The area near Chiesa in Valmalenco is famous for alpine skiing and the particular geology of the surrounding mountains. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,714 and an area of 114.8 square kilometres (44.3 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordona</span> Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Gordona is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Milan and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,770 and an area of 49.0 square kilometres (18.9 sq mi).

Grosotto is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northeast of Milan and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland.

Mazzo di Valtellina flag.svg

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frisa Valtellinese</span> Breed of goat

The Frisa Valtellinese is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is raised throughout the Valtellina, from which its principal name derives, in the Val Malenco and the upper Val Masino in the Rhaetian Alps, and in the Valchiavenna. It may also be called the Frontalasca, for the village of Frontale, a frazione of the comune of Sondalo in the Val di Rezzalo, or the Rezzalasca for that valley. The name Frisa comes from its frisature, or Swiss markings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italy–Switzerland border</span> International border

The border between the modern states of Switzerland and Italy extends for 744 kilometres (462 mi), from the French-Swiss-Italian tripoint at Mont Dolent in the west to the Austrian-Swiss-Italian tripoint near Piz Lad in the east. Much of the border runs across the High Alps, rising above 4,600 metres (15,100 ft) as it passes east of Dufourspitze, but it also descends to the lowest point in Switzerland as it passes Lago Maggiore at below 200 metres (660 ft).

References

  1. Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional Gross Domestic Product (Small regions TL3), OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
  2. "Provincia di Sondrio". Tutt Italia. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Roy Palmer Domenico (2002). The Regions of Italy: A Reference Guide to History and Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 201–202. ISBN   978-0-313-30733-1.
  4. Roy Palmer Domenico (2002). The Regions of Italy: A Reference Guide to History and Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 201. ISBN   978-0-313-30733-1.
  5. Larsen, Christa; Hasberg, Ruth; Schmid, Alfons; Bittner, Marc; Clément, Franz (2011). Measuring Geographical Mobility in Regional Labour Market Monitoring: State of the Art and Perspectives. Rainer Hampp Verlag. p. 46. ISBN   978-3-86618-757-3.

46°21′37″N9°56′38″E / 46.3601976°N 9.9440002°E / 46.3601976; 9.9440002