Arpitan Valleys of Piedmont

The Arpitan Valleys of Piedmont (Arpitan: Valâdes arpitanes du Piemont) are the upper parts of the valleys in the north-west of the Province of Turin, in Piedmont (Italy), whose traditional speech belongs to the Arpitan (Franco-Provençal) language, like the neighbouring Aosta Valley, Savoy, Bresse and Valais. They cover an area of 1,589.06 km² and had 65,995 inhabitants.

The local Arpitan varieties form a group distinct from the Valdôtain dialect of the adjacent Aosta Valley; the variety of the Soana Valley, for example, is known as Vâlsoanin. Together with Occitan, French and Walser, Arpitan is one of the historical linguistic minorities of Piedmont recognised and protected under Italian Law No. 482 of 15 December 1999.

Valleys The valleys, from north to south, are:

Soana Valley (Vâl Soana) Orco Valley (Vâl d'Orco) Lanzo Valleys (Vâlades at Lans) Cenis Valley (Vâl Cenischia) Suse Valley (Vâl Susa) Sangone Valley (Vâl Sangon)

The Lanzo Valleys are themselves made up of three valleys (the Val Grande (Vâl Grande), the Val d'Ala (Vâl d'Ala) and the Val di Viù (Vâl di Viù)), so that the area is sometimes described as comprising eight valleys in total.

Arpitan communes of Piedmont

The following communes (comuni) are recognised as belonging to the Arpitan minority under Law 482/1999.

+ Communes of the Arpitan minorityName in ArpitanName in ItalianAlaAla di SturaAlmèisAlmeseLa AlpeteAlpetteVelhannaAviglianaBârmesBalmeBurgùnBorgone SusaBërsoelBruzoloBusoulinBussolenoCentuèiriCantoiraCiàvrieCaprieKarémaCaremaKastagnòleCastagnole PiemonteSéresCeresSérisolesCerisole RealeTchialambèrtChialambertoTsanuchChianoccoKiusaChiusa di San MicheleCuasölCoassolo TorineseCouvaseCoazzeKundòveCondoveKoeriCorioFrasineiFrassinettoSen GermanGermagnanoGravereGravereGruskavàGroscavalloL'ÉngriIngriaDzaliounGiaglioneJavënGiavenoLansLanzo TorineseLeimiaLemieLukënnaLocanaMàtieMattieMeanaMeana di SusaMisinìMezzenileMoutierMonastero di LanzoFrere CenisioMoncenisioMumpantiaMompanteroNuachiNoascaNonalésaNovalesaPisinàiPessinettoPontPont CanaveseKuisnèQuincinettoRiburdonRibordoneRoncRonco CanaveseRubianaRubianaSen DidéSan DideroSan GoeriSan Giorio di SusaSent AmbreuSant'Ambrogio di TorinoSantantuninSant'Antonino di SusaSparonSparoneSouizaSusaTràvesTravesUseiUsseglioVàjesVaieVoudjiňValgioieVâlpràValprato SoanaVenoVenausVilàVillar DoraVilar FuciardVillar FocchiardoVjyViù

The legally protected area does not correspond in every case to a uniform dialectological area. The valleys are separated by mountain chains but open towards the Po valley, a situation that has favored long-standing contact with Piedmontese, especially in its Turin and Canavese varieties. In many places, particularly in the lower valleys, Piedmontese has coexisted with, influenced, or replaced the local language. In the IRES Piemonte survey, 36.7% of residents in the Arpitan area reported some knowledge of the local Arpitan varieties.

Linguistic research has questioned the Arpitan character of some of the listed communes. According to IRES Piemonte, several municipalities, including Pont Canavese, Corio, Lanzo Torinese, Monastero di Lanzo and Castagnole Piemonte, had adopted the Arpitan designation through local resolutions in the context of the protections and funding made available under Law 482/1999, although the study classified them as “deliberating but not belonging” to the Arpitan linguistic area.

A similar distinction is sometimes necessary inside individual communes. In parts of the lower Susa Valley and neighbouring areas, Savoyard or Arpitan elements may survive mainly as traces in surnames, toponyms or local vocabulary within Piedmontese speech. Marginal sub-municipal cases have also been reported, including Grandubbione, a hamlet of Pinasca, and Pratovigero (Pravigè or Pravigé), a hamlet of Trana; these are better treated as local historical or toponymic attestations rather than as evidence that the entire communes of Pinasca or Trana belong to the Arpitan area.

Arpitan Valleys of Piedmont

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