Viganella in 2005. Viganella is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' of

Borgomezzavalle Borgomezzavalle is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont. As of 2019 the population was 320. It was established on 1 January 2016 by the merger of the municipalities of Seppiana and Viga ...

, a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italian: ''Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola'' ) is the northernmost province in the Italian region of Piedmont. It was created in 1992 through the fusion of three geographical areas which had previously been part of the Pr ...

in the

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 ...

region

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

, located about northeast of

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

and about northwest of

Verbania Verbania (, , ) is the most populous ''comune'' (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about north-west of Milan and ...

. It was a separate ''

until 2016, when it was merged with

Seppiana Seppiana is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Borgomezzavalle in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. On 1 January 2016 it was ...

into the municipality of

Winter lighting

For its extreme landscape position, the town remains shadowed for 83 days per year, between November and January. A giant

mirror A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

was set up in November 2006 with controlled orientation above the mountainside, consisting of 14 sheets of steel which together are wide and high. The mirror functions as a

heliostat A heliostat (from ''helios'', the Greek word for ''sun'', and ''stat'', as in stationary) is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating ...

, tracking the Sun so that

sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...

always reflects onto the

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

."Brilliant idea: mirror lights up village". ''The Times'', UK. 12 November 2006.
/ref>BBC picture
/ref> The mirror cost €100,000, or approximately €540 per resident. The town was featured in a 2009 Italian/Canadian film called ''Lo Specchio'' (''The Mirror''). According to a former mayor: "The idea behind the project doesn't have a scientific basis, but a human one. It comes from a desire to let people socialise in winter when the town shuts down due to the cold and the dark."

References

External links

Trailer for 'Lo Specchio'
* Articles about Lighting Solution
Article 2
Frazioni of Borgomezzavalle Former municipalities of the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola {{Authority control Cities and towns in Piedmont

Winter lighting

See also

References

External links