Aosta Valley

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Lore & Background

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 (modern-day Aosta) to secure the strategic mountain passes, and they went on to build bridges and roads through the mountains. 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 ('Charter of Liberties') 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. 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.

Reader's Guide

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 (4,810 m or 15,780 ft). This makes it the highest region in Italy, based on the highest point in each region. The valleys, usually above 1,600 m, annually have a cold continental climate (Dfc), with a snow season lasting as long as 8 to 9 months at the highest points. Temperatures in January are low, between −7 and −3 °C, and in July are between 20 and 35 °C. Areas between 2,000 and 3,500 m usually have a tundra climate (ET). Temperature averages in Plateau Rosa, at 3,400 m high, are −11.6 °C in January and 1.4 °C in July; it is the coldest place in Italy where the climate is verifiable. The region has one of Italy's lowest birth rates, with a rising average age, partly compensated by immigration since most immigrants are younger people working in the tourist industry. Between 1991 and 2011, the population of the Aosta Valley grew by 9.4%, the highest growth among Italian regions, due exclusively to positive net migration. As of 2025, immigrants make up 11.2% of the population; the five largest foreign countries of birth are Morocco, Romania, Albania, France, and Tunisia. The Valdôtain population and their language dialects have been the subject of some sociological research.

Did You Know?

• The Aosta Valley was the first government authority to adopt Modern French as the sole official language in 1536, three years before France itself.
• Italian is spoken as a mother tongue by 77.29% of the population, Valdôtain by 17.91%, and French by 1.25%.
• The region includes the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso, and the Matterhorn.
• Plateau Rosa, at 3,400 m, is the coldest place in Italy where the climate is verifiable, with a January average of −11.6 °C.
• The population of Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Gressoney-La-Trinité, and Issime speak two dialects of Walser German, Titsch and Töitschu.