Alagna Valsesia
| Alagna Valsesia | ||
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| Comune | ||
| Comune di Alagna Valsesia | ||
Walser houses in the frazione Pedemonte
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 Alagna Valsesia
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| Coordinates: 45°51′14″N 7°56′14″E / 45.85389°N 7.93722°ECoordinates: 45°51′14″N 7°56′14″E / 45.85389°N 7.93722°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Piedmont | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Vercelli (VC) | |
| Frazioni | Dorf, Fum d'Boudma, Fum Diss, Fum Tschukke, Fun d'Rùfinu, Im Adelstodal, Im Felleretsch, Im Garrài, Im Oubre Grobe, Im Oubre Rong, Im Rong, Im Undre Grobe, Im Wold, In d'Bundu, In d'Ekku, In d'Follu, In d'Mèrlette, In d'Stütz, In d'Weng, In d'Wittine, Purratz Hus, Scarpia, Uttershus, Wittwosma, Z'am Steg, Zar Chilchu, Zar Sogu, Z'Jakmuls Hus, Z'Kantmud, Z'Pudelenn, Z'San Niklòs, Z'Yuassis Hus | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Sandro Bergamo | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 72 km2 (28 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,154 m (3,786 ft) | |
| Population (1 January 2014) | ||
| • Total | 417 | |
| • Density | 5.8/km2 (15/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Alagnesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 13021 | |
| Dialing code | 0163 | |
| Patron saint | St. John the Baptist | |
| Website | Official website | |
Alagna Valsesia (Walser German: Im Land, Piedmontese: Alagna, Valsesiano: Lagna) is a comune and small village high in the Valsesia alpine valley in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy, a UNESCO World heritage site since 2013. It is a tourist place for mountaineering and winter sports, and it is internationally renowned for the freeride off-piste skiing. It was originally settled by Walser at the beginning of 12th century. It is located at an elevation of 1,191 metres (3,907 ft) just south of the Monte Rosa, elevation 4,638 metres (15,217 ft) (the second tallest peak in the Alps); It is very close to Milan (130 kilometres (81 mi)) and to the international Milan–Malpensa Airport (106 kilometres (66 mi)).
Since December 2005 a cable car connects Alagna with Gressoney through the Passo dei Salati.
Founded in the 13th century by a German population ("Walser") descending from the north into the Italian valleys around Monte Rosa, it has preserved today its atmosphere with several buildings built around 1500–1600 in a pure "Walser Style", still in perfect condition, built using local wood and stones (called 'Piode'). This spontaneous architecture has been totally preserved: the wooden cage around the building was in fact invented for putting the hay to dry out.
The Church of Saint John Baptist was built in 1511 and it has got inside some beautiful sculptures by Giovanni d'Enrico a famous Italian artist (1559–1644).
At the entrance of the town, there is the native house of Tanzio da Varallo (1575–1633), brother of Giovanni d'Enrico.
Alagna is one of the Alpine towns which have played a crucial role in the history of the mountaineering. The Guides Association was founded in 1872 and it is the oldest in Italy second only to that of Courmayeur (1870). From the town started all the first expeditions on the close Monte Rosa; the first one was on 23 July 1801 when Pietro Giordani, a native of Alagna, reached the summit of the peak which now is called by his name (Giordani peak, 4,046 metres (13,274 ft)). On 1819 Zumstein reached the third highest Monte Rosa peak (Zumstein peak, 4,563 metres (14,970 ft)). Finally between August the 8th and the 9th, the Alagna parish priest, reached, after three attempts, the fourth tallest peak of Monte Rosa and the highest in the Alagna Valley, the today called Gnifetti Peak (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)).
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Wikipedia