Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley (Italian: Valle d'Aosta [ˈvalle daˈɔsta] (official) or Val d'Aosta (usual); French: Vallée d'Aoste [vale daɔst]/[vale dɔst] (official) or Val d'Aoste (usual); Arpitan: Val d'Outa) is a mountainous semi-autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Rhône-Alpes, France to the west, Valais, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piedmont to the south and east.

Covering an area of 3,263 km² (1,260 sq mi) and with a population of about 128,000 it is the smallest, least populous, and least densely populated region of Italy. It is the only Italian region that has no provinces (the province of Aosta was dissolved in 1945). Provincial administrative functions are provided by the regional government. The region is divided into 74 comuni (communes).

Italian and French are the official languages, though much of the native population also speak Valdôtain, a dialect of Arpitan, as their home language; about half of the population can speak all three languages.

Valle d'Aosta DOC

The Valle d'Aosta DOC (or Val d'Aoste DOC, in French) is an Italian denominazione di origine controllata located in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy. Surrounded by the Alps, the Valle d'Aosta is home to the highest elevated vineyards in all of Europe. The principal winemaking region of the Valle d'Aosta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea (fr., Doire baltée) river with the city of Aosta serving as the central winemaking location. The region is divided into three main vineyard areas; the upper valley, Valdigne, the central valley (locally Valle centrale in Italian, Vallée centrale in French) and the lower valley, (locally Bassa valle in Italian, Basse vallée in French). To the south is the winemaking region of Piedmont. The Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest winemaking region both in terms of size and production with only about 330,000 cases produced annually in the region and only 36,000 cases produced under the DOC label. Seventy five percent of the area's production is red wine made mostly from the Pinot noir, Gamay and Petit Rouge varieties. A white wine is made from the indigenous Prié blanc grape by the cooperative of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle.

Aosta Valley (political coalition)

Aosta Valley (Vallée d'Aoste, VdA) is a regionalist coalition of parties active in Aosta Valley, Italy.

Vallée d'Aoste or Pour la Vallée d'Aoste are the banners under which the Valdostan Union (UV), the main regionalist party in the region, takes part to Italian general elections, along with its minor allies. Since 1983 the list has won most of the races for both houses of the Italian Parliament (see Parliamentary delegations from Aosta Valley). Typical allies of UV within VdA had been the Popular Democrats (PD) and the Autonomists Democrats Progressives (ADP). Since 2006 the list, which at times took the name Autonomy Progress Federalism Aosta Valley (Vallée d'Aoste Autonomie Progrès Fédéralisme, VdA–APF), has become a stable coalition in regional politics and is composed also by Edelweiss (SA) and the Autonomist Federation (FA).

Recent history

In the 2006 general election an alternative, centre-left coalition called Autonomy Liberty Democracy (ALD) was formed as Valdostan Renewal (RV), a split from UV, joined forces with the Democrats with the Left (DS) and other minor parties. For the first time in twenty years, VdA–APF was soundly defeated in both races for the Italian Parliament. In the election for the Chamber of Deputies Marco Viérin (SA, VdA–APF) lost 43.4% to 30.7% to Roberto Nicco (DS, ALD), while in the Senate race incumbent senator Augusto Rollandin (UV, VdA–APF) was defeated 44.2% to 32.0% by Carlo Perrin (RV, ALD).

Aosta

Aosta ([aˈɔsta]; French: Aoste - [ɔst]Arpitan: Aoûta; Latin: Augusta Prætoria Salassorum) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, 110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea (French: Doire baltée), and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes. Aosta is not the capital of the province, because Aosta Valley is the only Italian region not divided into provinces. Provincial administrative functions are instead shared by the region and the communes.

History

Aosta was settled in proto-historic times and later became a centre of the Salassi, many of whom were killed or sold into slavery by the Romans in 25 BC. The campaign was led by Terentius Varro, who then founded the Roman colony of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, housing 3,000 retired veterans. After 11 BC Aosta became the capital of the Alpes Graies ("Grey Alps") province of the Empire. Its position at the confluence of two rivers, at the end of the Great and the Little St Bernard Pass, gave it considerable military importance, and its layout was that of a Roman military camp.