Saint-Nicolas, Aosta Valley
| Saint-Nicolas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Saint-Nicolas Commune de Saint-Nicolas |
||
 |
||
|
||
 Saint-Nicolas
|
||
| Coordinates: 45°43′N 7°10′E / 45.717°N 7.167°ECoordinates: 45°43′N 7°10′E / 45.717°N 7.167°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Valle d'Aosta | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | none | |
| Frazioni | Vens, Cerlogne, Chez Louitoz, Clavel, Fossaz Dessous, Fossaz Dessus, La Cure, Chaillod, Ravoise, Persod, Petit Sarriod, Grand Sarriod, Gerbore, Ferrère, Gratillon, Lyveroulaz, Évian | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 15 km2 (6 sq mi) | |
| Population | ||
| • Total | 313 | |
| • Density | 21/km2 (54/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 11010 | |
| Dialing code | 0165 | |
| Patron saint | Saint Nicholas | |
| Saint day | 7 April | |
| Website | Official website | |
.svg)
Saint-Nicolas is a town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It consists of 13 hamlets located between 950 and 1,550 metres (3,120 and 5,090 ft) above sea level. Sitting like a balcony above the Dora Baltea Valley, Saint-Nicolas overlooks the four major latteral valleys of the mid-upper Aosta valley. These are (moving up the valley); Val de Cogne, Valsavarenche, Val de Rhêmes, and Valgrisenche.
Saint-Nicolas consists of a small city center and numerous hamlets or frazioni, locally called hameaux. Among the most scenic is Persod, which is protected by the "Belle Arti" laws. It consists of 35 stone houses with slate roofs connected by a thin road not large enough for a car to pass. Today, Persod has only six year-round residents, and about 14 regular weekenders from Milan and Saint-Pierre. The hamlet of Persod is recognizable even from the distance of a passing airplane as it the only village in the area surrounded by giant poplar trees.
A noted artisanal maker of Fontina cheese may be found just above the village of Chaillod.
Saint-Nicolas was the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Cerlogne, a humble abbot who had pride in his region and its unique language, called Francoprovençal or Arpitan. He authored several noteworthy poems in his native patois and wrote the first grammar and dictionary devoted to the Valdôtain dialect.
The Center for Francoprovençal Studies (Le Centre d'études francoprovençales), or CEFP, located in the village of Fossaz-dessus, is one of the most important centers for Francoprovençal language research. It opened November 12, 1988 and was dedicated to the Aosta Valley writer and playwright René Willien. The CEFP occupies an 18th-century paysannes maison (farmhouse) native to the Aosta Valley, which was completely restored by architects Louis Bochet and Albert Breuvé. Typical of these multi-function structures, locally called a pailler, the animals, hay, and farm implements filled the barn (booué) on the ground floor, the family kitchen (meison) occupied first floor, and the sleeping room (tsambra) was located on the second floor. Among the centers holdings is the archive of the "Concours Cerlogne," a poetry, drama and music competition in the regional language reserved for elementary school students in the Aosta Valley that has been held annually since 1963.
...
Wikipedia