| Val Chisone | |
|---|---|
 Val Chisone from Grand Puy (Pragelato) | |
 Location in the Piedmont region | |
| Geography | |
| Population centers | Pinerolo, Fenestrelle, Pragelato, Sestriere |
| Coordinates | 45°0′N7°8′E / 45.000°N 7.133°E Coordinates: 45°0′N7°8′E / 45.000°N 7.133°E |
| Rivers | Chisone |
The Val Chisone is one of the Occitan valleys of western Piedmont, situated in the Cottian Alps in the Metropolitan City of Turin in north-west Italy.
Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestriere. It is bounded by the Val di Susa (to which it is connected by the Sestriere Pass, at 2,035 metres (6,677 ft)) to the north and east, the Val Sangone to the north, the Val Pellice to the south, while eastwards is the plain of the Po Valley.
The valley is crossed by the torrent from which it takes its name, the Chisone. The valley has a main branch, the Valle Germanasca, and a smaller branch in the area of Pragelato, Parco naturale Val Troncea, a nature park, an ideal destination for hikers, snowshoe hikers and cross-country skiers.
For centuries the Val Chisone was an object of contention between the Duchy of Savoy and the Kingdom of France. The upper valley (Val Pragelato) was part of the French Dauphiné, while the lower valley (Val Perosa) was under Savoyard control. In 1631, the right shore of the Val Perosa was ceded to Louis XIII of France, returning under Savoy by the Peace of Turin (1696).
The upper Val Chisone was part of the semi-independent French state of the Escartons Republic from 1343 to 1713. Pragelato was one of the five cantons. The Republic was annexed to Savoy in 1713.
The valley, together with Val Germanasca and Val Pellice, is home to a large Waldensian community.
The valley has a lot of hiking destinations. Some of the most important mountains are:
Val Chisone is renowned for winter sports: in 2006 several competitions within the XX Olympic Winter Games took place in Pinerolo, Pragelato and Sestriere.
Sestriere's huge skiing area hosted the alpine skiing. The area is part of the Via Lattea, a ski resort that comprises more than 163 skiing connected courses (41 blue, 92 red and 30 black slopes) and whose altitude ranges from 1,380 metres (4,530 ft) in Cesana to 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) on top of the Motta course. [1] The slopes in Sestriere also regularly host FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events.
Pragelato hosted cross-country skiing, nordic combined (cross-country skiing) and ski jumping. The ski jumping area was used in the later years for other competitions.
Pragelato offers 15 km (9 mi) of touristic cross-country pistes from approximately 1,530 to 1,750 metres (5,020 to 5,740 ft) above sea level. Besides the link with Via Lattea through cableway, the municipality has its own alpine ski courses (one chairlift and three platter lifts).
Pinerolo hosted curling.
Some huts are open in winter and are a destination for snowshoe hikers:
Pinerolo is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary between Pinerolo and San Pietro Val di Lemina.
Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a comune (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, 17 km (11 mi) from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin.
Pragelato is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Turin, in the upper Val Chisone. The name Pragelato, meaning "icy meadow", has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods. On both sides of the Chisone, extensive forests of pine and larch provide protection from the avalanches which are a common occurrence in the winter season: for this reason in the nineteenth century the people of Pragelato were only permitted to fell trees close to the mountain summits, and even then only with the permission of the communal administration.
Sauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont located 80 km from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of Monte Genevris.
The Geography of Piedmont is that of a territory predominantly mountainous, 43.3%, but with extensive areas of hills which represent 30.3% of the territory, and of plains (26.4%).
The 3rd Alpini Regiment is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment is based in Pinerolo and assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".
Montgenèvre is a commune on the Italian border in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 456.
The Chisone is a 53-kilometre (33 mi) Italian torrent, which runs through Pragelato, Fenestrelle, Perosa Argentina and Pinerolo in the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is a tributary of the Pellice, which in turn is a tributary of the river Po. Although classified as a torrent, there is no period of the year at which the Chisone runs dry.
The Grande Traversata delle Alpi (GTA) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Italian region of Piedmont. In about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) and 55 day hikes, it runs through the arc formed by the western Alps from the Pennine Alps through the Graian and Cottian Alps to the Maritime and Ligurian Alps. There are a number of transverse valleys along the route. Day hikes typically connect high-lying valley communities with each other via historic pass routes.
Punta Sommeiller or Pointe Sommeiller 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 3,333 metres (10,935 ft) above sea level.
Monte Orsiera is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the Province of Turin (Italy).
The Germanasca is a 27 km (17 mi) Italian torrent, which runs through the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is a tributary of the Chisone, into which it flows near Perosa Argentina. The valley formed by the river is known as Val Germanasca.
The Garda Mountains, occasionally also the Garda Hills, are an extensive mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps in northern Italy.
The nature park Parco naturale Val Troncea is located in Val Chisone, municipality of Pragelato in the Metropolitan City of Turin. The park was created in 1980 to preserve the natural environment.
Bric Ghinivert or Eiminàl is a mountain of the Cottian Alps located in Italy.
Monte Politri or Bric Rosso is a 3,026 m a.s.l. mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Italy.
Monte Albergian is a 3,041 m a.s.l. mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Italy. A battalion of 3rd Alpini Regiment, which during World War I earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor, was named after Monte Albergian.
The Pointe Rochers Charniers is a mountain of the Cottian Alps at an elevation of 3,063 metres above sea level, located in France.
The Punta Cornour is a 2,868 metres high mountain on the Italian side of the Cottian Alps.
The Cima Ciantiplagna is a mountain in the Cottian Alps belonging to the Province of Turin (Italy).
