Aosta Valley
The Aosta Valley, officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, to the west; by Valais, Switzerland, to the north; and by Piedmont, Italy, to the south and east. The regional capital is Aosta.
Covering an area of and with 122,714 inhabitants as of 2025, it is the smallest, least populous, and least densely populated region of Italy. The province of Aosta having been dissolved in 1945, the Aosta Valley region was the first region of Italy to abolish provincial subdivisions, followed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia in 2017. Provincial administrative functions are provided by the regional government. The region is divided into 74 Comuni of the Aosta Valley.
Italian and French are the official languages, and the Valdôtain dialect of Franco-Provençal is also officially recognized. Italian is spoken as a mother tongue by 77.29% of the population, Valdôtain by 17.91%, and French by 1.25%. In 2009, reportedly 50.53% of the population could speak all three languages.
Geography
The Aosta Valley is an Alpine valley which, with its tributary valleys, includes the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn; its highest peak is Mont Blanc. This makes it the highest region in Italy, according to the list of Italian regions by highest point.Climate
The valleys, usually above, annually have a cold continental climate. In this climate, the snow season is very long, lasting as long as 8 to 9 months at the highest points. During the summer, mist occurs almost every day. These areas are the wettest in the western Alps. Temperatures in January are low, between, and in July are between.Areas between usually have a tundra climate, where every month has an average temperature below. This climate may be either a kind of more severe cold oceanic climate, with a low summer average but mild winters, sometimes above, especially near lakes, or a more severe cold continental climate, with a very low winter average. Temperature averages in Plateau Rosa, at high, are in January and in July. It is the coldest place in Italy where the climate is verifiable.
In the past, above, all months had an average temperature below freezing, with a perpetual frost climate. In recent years, however, there has been a rise in temperatures. See, as an example, the data for Plateau Rosa.
History
Early inhabitants of the Aosta Valley were Celts and Ligures, whose language heritage remains in some local placenames. Rome conquered the region from the local Salassi around 25 BC and founded Augusta Prætoria Salassorum to secure the strategic mountain passes, and they went on to build bridges and roads through the mountains. Thus, the name Valle d'Aosta literally means "Valley of Augustus".In 1031–1032, Humbert I of Savoy, the founder of the House of Savoy, received the title Count of Aosta from Emperor Conrad II of the Franconian line and built himself a commanding fortification at Bard. Saint Anselm of Canterbury was born in Aosta in 1033 or 1034. The region was divided among strongly fortified castles, and in 1191, Thomas I of Savoy found it necessary to grant to the communes a Charte des franchises which preserved autonomy—rights that were fiercely defended until 1770, when they were revoked to tie Aosta more closely to Piedmont, but which were again demanded during post-Napoleonic times. In the mid-13th century, Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy, and its arms charged with a lion rampant were carried in the Savoy arms until the reunification of Italy in 1870.
The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exceptions of French occupations from 1539 to 1563, later in 1691, and then between 1704 and 1706. It was also ruled by the First French Empire between 1800 and 1814. During French rule, it was part of Aoste arrondissement in Doire department. As part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it joined the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
French forces briefly controlled the area at the end of World War II, but withdrew under British and American pressure. The region gained special autonomous status after the end of World War II; the province of Aosta ceased to exist in 1945.
Government and politics
For decades, the valley has been dominated by autonomist regional parties such as the Valdostan Union, which represents the interests of the French-speaking population. The latest regional election was held in late September 2025. The current President is Renzo Testolin, first elected in 2023 supported by a coalition of autonomist and progressive lists.The Aosta Valley, the smallest region by area in Italy, is not divided into provinces. It is, however, still divided into 74 comunes, namely:
Demographics
| Nationality | Population |
 RomaniaEconomyThe economy of the Aosta Valley is based above all on the tertiary sector, in particular on tourism. Due to the autonomy conferred by the special statute, the public sector, which administers most of the regional financial resources, plays a role of primary importance in the Aosta Valley economy. The industries are concentrated in the lower valley and are often small to medium sized. However, the contribution of agriculture and livestock to the regional economy is modest. Potatoes, apples, vines, barley are grown and cattle are raised. The artisanal production is significant, in which wooden sculpture emerges.Aosta Valley has many small and picturesque villages, three of them have been selected by I Borghi più belli d'Italia, a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities. These villages are:
CultureLanguagesThe Aosta Valley was the first government authority to adopt Modern French as the official language in 1536, three years before France itself.Since 1946, Italian and French are the region's official languages and are used for the regional government's acts and laws, though Italian is the most widespread mother tongue and thus is much more widely spoken in everyday life, while French is mostly spoken in cultural life. Education is conducted evenly in French and Italian, so that anyone who has gone to school in the Aosta Valley can speak both languages to at least a medium-high level. Legal decree No.365 of 11 November 1946 states that it is mandatory to know both Italian and French to teach in Aosta Valley's schools. According to Aosta Valley's autonomous status, the same number of hours of French and Italian teaching must be held. The decree No.861 of the President of the Republic of 31 October 1975 states that it is mandatory to pass a French exam to teach in Aosta Valley for Italian native speakers, as well an Italian exam for French native speakers. Italian law No.196 of 16 May 1978 states the adaptation rules of national educational programmes into French for Aosta Valley, and states as well that all members of the examination boards must be fluent both in Italian and French. Aosta Valley students must pass an extra test in French at the Secondary education final exam, similar to the first test. The regional language, known as patoué valdotèn or simply patoué, is a dialectal variety of Franco-Provençal. It is spoken as a native and second language by 68,000 residents, or about 58% of the population according to a sociolinguistic survey carried out by the Fondation Émile Chanoux in 2001. The survey found that the Italian language was native to 77.29% of respondents, Franco-Provençal to 17.91%, and French to 1.25%, though the active use of these languages by the population shows French at 75.41% and Franco-Provençal at 55.77%. The population of Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Gressoney-La-Trinité and Issime, in the Lys Valley, speak two dialects of Walser German, Titsch and Töitschu respectively. According to the survey, Walser German was spoken as a mother tongue by 207 people, or 17.78%, in these three villages. Nevertheless, it was known to 56.38% of the population. Castles and fortressesThere are numerous medieval castles and fortified houses in the Aosta Valley, including Châtel-Argent, Saint-Pierre Castle, Fénis Castle, Issogne Castle, Bard Fort, Ussel Castle, Sarre Castle, Cly Castle, Verrès Castle, and Châtelard Castle. Savoy Castle in Gressoney-Saint-Jean was conceived in the 19th century and completed in 1904. Since 1990, it has also been home to the Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden.CuisineThe cuisine of Aosta Valley is characterized by simplicity and revolves around "robust" ingredients such as potatoes, polenta; cheese and meat; and rye bread. Many of the dishes involve Fontina, a cheese with PDO status, made from cow's milk that originates from the valley. It is found in dishes such as the soup à la vâpeuleunèntse. Other cheeses made in the region are Tomme de Gressoney and Seras. Fromadzo has been produced locally since the 15th century and also has PDO status.Regional specialities, besides Fontina, are Motzetta, Vallée d'Aoste Lard d'Arnad, Vallée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses, a dark bread made with rye, and honey. Notable dishes include Carbonnade, similar to the Belgian dish of the same name consisting of salt-cured beef cooked with onions and red wine served with polenta; breaded veal cutlets called costolette; teuteuns, salt-cured cow's udder that is cooked and sliced; and steak à la valdôtaine, a steak with croûtons, ham and melted cheese. |