Varaita Valley (in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

''Valle Varaita'') is a valley in south-west of

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, in the

Province of Cuneo Cuneo (Italian), or Coni (Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Haut ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Etymology

It takes its name from the

Varaita The Varaita (; pms, Vràita ; oc, Varacho ) is a river of the Province of Cuneo in northwest Italy. It is the first right tributary of the Po River. Geography The river springs at an elevation of some on the slopes of Monviso, in the Cottian A ...

, a right-hand

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the Po which flows through the valley.

Geography

Close the French border the valley is divided in two sub-valleys named ''Valle di Bellino'' (south) and ''Valle di Chianale'' (north), which meet near

Casteldelfino Casteldelfino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo. Casteldelfino borders the following municipalities: Bellino, Elva, Oncino, P ...

. The

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of Varaita Valley are

Bellino Bellino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is located in the upper Varaita Valley. Bellino borde ...

Brossasco Brossasco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo. Brossasco borders the following municipalities: Frassino, Gambasca, Isasca, M ...

Costigliole Saluzzo Costigliole Saluzzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about north of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,212 and an area of .All demogr ...

Frassino Frassino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo. Frassino borders the following municipalities: Brossasco, Melle, Sampeyre, and San Da ...

Isasca Isasca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo, in the Valle Varaita. Isasca borders the following municipalities: Brondello, Brossasco ...

Melle Melle may refer to: People * Basil Melle (1891–1966), South African cricketer * Gil Mellé (1931–2004), American artist, jazz musician and film composer * John van Melle (1887–1953), Dutch-born South African author * Melle Mel (born 19 ...

Piasco Piasco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Pie ...

Pontechianale Pontechianale is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. Pontechianale borders the following municipalities: ...

, Rossana,

Sampeyre Sampeyre is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo. Sampeyre borders the following municipalities: Brossasco, Casteldelfino, Elva, Frassi ...

, Valmala,

Venasca Venasca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,563 and an area of .All demographics a ...

and

Verzuolo Verzuolo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about north of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,379 and an area of .All demographics and ...

Notable summits

The most important mountains of the valley are the

Monviso Monte Viso or Monviso (; oc, Vísol; Piedmontese: ''Brich Monviso'' or ''Viso'') is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps. It is located in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape and, because it i ...

(3.841 m) and its subpeaks. Other relevant summits of the valley, all belonging to the

Cottian Alps The Cottian Alps (; french: Alpes Cottiennes ; it, Alpi Cozie ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France (Hautes-Alpes and Savoie) and Italy (Piedmont). The Fréjus Road Tunnel and Fréjus Rai ...

, are: * Valle di Chianale: ** Monte Losetta - 3054 m ** Monte Ruine - 3143 m ** Monte Aiguillette - 3298 m ** Pic d'Asti - 3219 m **Rocca Bianca - 3064 m ** Monte Pelvo - 3024 m * Valle di Bellino: ** Mongioia - 3340 m ** Testa di Malacosta - 3212 m ** Monte Ferra - 3094 m ** Testa di Malacosta - 3212 m ** Pelvo di Ciabrera - 3152 m **

Pelvo d'Elva Pelvo d'Elva is a mountain in the Cottian Alps, in eastern Piedmont, northern Italy. It has an elevation of . Dividing the Varaita and Maira Valleys, it is located across the communal territory of Elva and Bellino Bellino is a ''comune'' (munic ...

- 3046 m * Mid and lowest part of the valley: ** Punta Rasciassa - 2664 m ** Monte Nebin - 2510 m ** Testa di Garitta Nuova - 2385 m **

Monte Birrone The Monte Birrone is a high mountain in the Cottian Alps, belonging to the Italian province of Cuneo. Geography The mountain stands on the long ridge which, starting from the Main chain of the Alps, divides Maira Valley from Varaita Valley. ...

- 2131 m ** Monte Ricordone - 1764 m ** Monte san Bernardo - 1625 m

Access

The valley can be reached by car/bus from

Po Plain The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...

following the ''strada provinciale'' ''della Valle Varaita''; it also can be accessed by the French region of

Queyras The Queyras ( oc, Cairàs) is a valley located in the French Hautes-Alpes, of which the geographical extent is the basin of the river Guil, a tributary of the Durance. The Queyras is one of the oldest mountain ranges of the Alps, and it was one of ...

by the Collle dell'Agnello, the third highest Alpine pass crossed by an asphalted road.''La leggenda del Colle dell'Agnello'', web page o
www.piemonteciclabile.it
(accessed in December 2012)

Notes and references

External links

* http://www.vallevaraita.cn.it/ {{Commons, Varaita Valley