Gressoney-Saint-Jean


Gressoney-Saint-Jean is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.

Geography

The town is situated in the Lys valley.

History, Walser culture and language

Though Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Gressoney-La-Trinité form two separate comunes, they form a Walser German cultural unity known as Greschòney in Greschoneytitsch, the local Walser German dialect, or Kressenau in German.
From 1928 until 1946 the two were united into one commune, officially named Gressoney, which from 1939 onward was Italianized as Gressonei. After WWII, the two former communes were reconstituted as well as their original name in French.
An example of Greschòneytitsch:
Walser German GermanEnglish

Endsche Attò

das béscht em Hémmel,

dass héilege sígge Dín Noame.

Chéeme Dín Herrschaft.

Vater unser

der Du bist im Himmel,

geheiligt werde Dein Name.

Dein Reich komme.

Our Father

in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Landmarks