Ayas ( or ; Gressoney ; between 1939 and 1945) is a '' comune sparso'' in the

Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...

region of northwestern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, with 1359 inhabitants in 2010.

Geography

It is made up of several ''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') 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 consolidat ...

'' (locally officially called ''hameaux'', in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

), the two major ones being Antagnod which holds the town hall and the main parish, and Champoluc. All the ''frazioni'' of Ayas were combined under the one jurisdictional parish of Saint-Martin d'Antagnod in 1761. They remained combined in this way until the new parish of Sainte-Anne of

Champoluc Champoluc () is a village in the commune of Ayas, Aosta Valley, Ayas, in the Aosta Valley, Northern Italy. The area is known as a centre for hiking, mountaineering and skiing, particularly around the Monte Rosa Massif. Geography It is one of ...

was built in 1946. The comune of Ayas lies up the Ayas valley from Brusson.

Physical geography

The comune of Ayas occupies the upper part of the homonymous valley at the feet of the great peaks of the

Pennine Alps The Pennine Alps (, , , ), sometimes referred to as the Valais Alps (which are just the Northern Swiss part of the Pennine Alps), are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Italy (the Aosta Valley and Piedmont) an ...

, which separate it from

Zermatt Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is cl ...

in the

Mattertal The Matter Valley (German: Mattertal, or sometimes ''Nikolaital'') is located in southwestern Switzerland, south of the Rhone valley in the canton of Valais. The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surroun ...

(

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

) and mark the border between Italy and Switzerland. The most notable of these peaks are

Castor Castor most commonly refers to: *Castor (star), a star in the Gemini constellation *Castor, one of the Dioscuri/Gemini twins Castor and Pollux in Greco-Roman mythology Castor or CASTOR may also refer to: Science and technology *Castor (rocket s ...

(4,226 m), Pollux (4,091 m) and the

Breithorn The Breithorn ( German for literally "broad horn"; 13,661 ft. or 4,160 m) is a mountain range of the Pennine Alps with its highest peak of the same name (but also called ''Breithorn (Western Summit)''), located on the border between Switze ...

(4,165 m). Another important glacier is the Grand Glacier of Verra. It is the principal source of the

Évançon The Évançon (sometimes written ''Évençon'') is the stream which flows through the val d'Ayas and flows into the Doire baltée. Its name in Franco-Provençal language, Franco-Provençal might mean "Grand River" or "River from the Mountaintops ...

, which flows down the Val d'Ayas and empties into the

Dora Baltea The Dora Baltea () or Doire Baltée () is a river in the Aosta Valley and in Piedmont, in northwestern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po and is about long. Name The river's Latin name was ''Duria maior'', ''Duria Baltica'' or ''Duri ...

(). In the opposite direction from the Monte Rosa Massif is Dzerbion, a 2,720 metre mountain in the shape of a pyramid, which separated the comune of Ayas from that of Saint-Vincent. *

Seismic classification A seismic hazard is the probability that an earthquake will occur in a given geographic area, within a given window of time, and with ground motion intensity exceeding a given threshold. With a hazard thus estimated, risk can be assessed and incl ...

: zone 4 (very low seismicity)

Flora and fauna

With respect to

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

, the landscape of Ayas is dominated by various

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Alpine plant Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxon, taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial g ...

, such as the cowberry (''

Vaccinium vitis-idaea ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'' is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is known colloquially as the lingonberry, partridgeberry, foxberry, mountain cranberry, or cowberry. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throug ...

''), the gentian (''

Gentiana acaulis ''Gentiana acaulis'', the stemless gentian, or trumpet gentian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae, native to central and southern Europe, from Spain east to the Balkans, growing especially in mountainous regions, such as ...

'') and the spring pasque flower ('' Pulsatilla vernalis''). The main trees in the woods are the European spruce (''

Picea abies ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, ...

''), the Swiss pine (''

Pinus cembra ''Pinus cembra'', also known as Swiss pine, Swiss stone pine, Arolla pine, Austrian stone pine, or just stone pine, is a species of pine tree in the subgenus ''Strobus''. Description The Swiss pine is a member of the white pine group, ''Pinus ...

'') and the European larch (''

Larix decidua ''Larix decidua'', the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with small disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland. Its life span has been confirmed to be clos ...

''). The

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

which inhabits the area of Ayas is very varied too. There are

marmot Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus ''Marmota'', with 15 species living in Asia, Europe, and North America. These herbivores are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, w ...

s in the remote parts of the territory,

squirrels Squirrels are members of the family (biology), family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and ...

and

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

es in the woods, and

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

s in the sky. The rivers and lakes are characterised by freshwater fish, like the

marble trout ''Salmo marmoratus'', the marble trout, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Salmonidae. It is characterized by a distinctive marbled color pattern and high growth capacity. The marble trout is found in only a handful of drainages and ...

History

The

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name is Agatius which seems to be the name of the first

Roman colony A Roman (: ) was originally a settlement of Roman citizens, establishing a Roman outpost in federated or conquered territory, for the purpose of securing it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It ...

. However, the etymology of the name is uncertain - there are many opinions. For example, Ayas could be cognate with the river Ayasse in the Champorcher Valley, deriving from the Latin adjective ''aquatica''. Another theory is that it might derive from ''giàs'',

Piedmontese Piedmontese ( ; autonym: or ; ) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, a region of Northwest Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regarded as an Italian ...

for "livestock pen". As for the earliest human settlement in the valley, it is thought that Ayas was initially populated by the

Salassi The Salassi or Salasses were a Gallic or Ligurian tribe dwelling in the upper valley of the Dora Baltea river, near present-day Aosta, Aosta Valley, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''dià Salassō̃n'' (δ� ...

. These people practiced agriculture, pastoralism, hunting and fishing up to the Roman conquest in around 25 BC. The Val d'Ayas became an important route to other territories of the Empire. Later this role was consolidated and the connections with

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

were expanded. As a result of these connections, Ayas later became known as ''Krämertal'' (Merchant Valley). Around 515, the territory of Ayas became part of the fief controlled by the monks of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune, of Burgundian origin. This group imposed Christianity on the peasantry of Ayas. This is the period when the first churches were built and the roads connecting the villages were expanded. Later the control of the Church over Ayas was strengthened, until the Pope gave total control of the valley to the Bishop of Aosta, Aymon of Quart in a

Papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

of 1776. At the same time as the arrival of the

Burgundians The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...

in the sixth century, came a migration of

Walser The Walser people are the speakers of the Walser German dialects, a variety of Highest Alemannic. They inhabit the region of the Alps of Swiss Alps, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as the fringes of Italy and Austria. The Walser peopl ...

s (a group of Germanic origin) into the valley, in particular to Saint-Jacques which is locally known as the ''Canton des Allemands'' (French for "Canton of the Germans"). A second migration occurred in the twelfth century. This migration has left traces in the architecture, which is similar to that of Valais and of the upper Lys Valley, and in the language of the upper val d'Ayas, which is very different from the other varieties of Valdôtain in phonology and vocabulary. Around 1200 the land of the family of Graines, which then controlled Ayas, was sold to the Challant family, viscounts of Aosta. A good portion of the val d'Ayas thus came into the possession of the Challant family and received the name "Vallée de Challant-Ayas". However the valley was not completely controlled by this powerful feudal family - the Abbey of St Maurice had ultimate sovereignty over the land. The Challant family governed the Val d'Ayas until the eighteenth century when their weakened members lost control of it. Thereafter the valley became part of the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...

and was administered by the church, which controlled many parishes along the whole valley. Like all the other comuni of the Aosta Valley, Ayas suffered from high emigration at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. The main destinations were

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

. During the two world wars, many men of Ayas were conscripted into the armed forces. In the fascist period, a hostile attitude developed towards the regime and in 1944 a small partisan action took place. The Germans also came to Ayas. In 1939 the place name was Italianised as "Aiàs". After the wars there was an economic revival as a result of tourist activities in Ayas, which led to the construction of hotels, houses, streets and to economic changes.

Monuments and locations of interest

Religious architecture

The Val d'Ayas has been strongly influenced by the Church in the course of its history. Thus, today, it contains more than twenty religious buildings, including churches, chapels, sanctuaries, grottoes and shrines all painted and connected to particular artistic genres. * The Church of Saint Martin of Tours in Antagnod is an interesting religious building with an

onion dome An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate (drum) upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. They taper smoothly upwards to a point. It is a typical ...

on François-Marie Dandrès Square, named for the parish priest Dandrès from Fontainemore who expanded the church to its current form. Entirely painted on the inside, it contains sacred works of art, the most important being the high altar. It is all that remains of the old church and is the most imposing and richest of all the

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

altars in the

: it is entirely carved in wood, which is painted and gilt and is divided horizontally into three sections. The top and bottom sections were carved by Valsesiani Gilardi and Minaldi in 1713. This altar has recently undergone a restoration which ended in 2011. * The Church of Saint Anne in

is today used as a cinema, but was once the main church of the village. The original chapel to Saint Anne was built in 1715 and the current building by the parish priest François-Marie Dandrès in 1836. Above the nineteenth century doorway, a circular fresco depicting

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

showing the Scripture to Mary with

Joachim Joachim was, according to Sacred tradition, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of ...

behind her can be seen. The wooden altar and the frescoes of the old church are now held in a new church building next to the old one. * The Church of Saint James in Saint-Jacques follows a very old design. At first a small chapel, it was expanded at the wish of

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into t ...

in 1500. Later the rich merchants of the village had it painted, but since it was below street level, a number of floods destroyed the frescoes. Today it has been raised up and it is possible to see the remains of the interior frescoes and the exterior walls. In the same square as this church is found a grotto similar to that of

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...

with a statue of the Madonna inside. * The Sanctuary of Barmasc as it is seen today dates to 1744. Originally it was dedicated to

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

but the people of Ayas have always called it Notre-Dame de Barmasc. For this reason François-Marie Dandrès asked permission to rename it as a sanctuary and name it after Notre-Dame du Bon-Secours (

for "Our Lady of Good Help"). Inside it there are sacred artworks and the altar with the picture of a folk hero on top. * The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Lignod was expanded in 1777 by Jean-Baptiste Prince. However the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...

on the façade was painted by Franz Curta in the nineteenth century. This fresco is based, according to some people, on the Last Judgement of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

Secular architecture

As regards popular architecture, the popular building ''par excellence'' is the rascard (of Walser origin). The main materials are stone and brick, materials in which the territory is rich. These are combined in the simple, but elegant form of the common house of Ayas, which served as home, stable, and barn. It is characterised by the presence of two or more floors - the lower floor of stone and the upper of wood, separated by an architectural layer of stone mushrooms which serve to keep rats from climbing up to the inhabited floor. The roof with a frame composed of tree trunks is covered over by

flagstone Flagstone (flag) is a generic flat Rock (geology), stone, sometimes cut in regular rectangular or square shape and usually used for Sidewalk, paving slabs or walkways, patios, flooring, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstone ...

- flat stones typical of the Walser landscape. Within this framework there are many characteristic and variable artistic elements, such as the finish of the wood, the round-arched doors, the lattices on the windows. In addition, the people of Ayas painted their houses in the same way as their churches, so it is not unusual for passers-through to encounter representations of the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, the

Saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

s and the Sacred Family. * At Antagnod, the geometric construction of the Maison Merlet and the Maison Challant (or Maison Fournier) on the main street, where a

castellan A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

of the ruling Challant family lived in the fifteenth century, is of interest. * The Villa Rivetti is found in Antagnod. It was designed by the

Biellese The Biellese is a breed of large domestic sheep indigenous to the province of Biella, in Piedmont in north-western Italy, from which it takes its name. It may also be known as the Razza d'Ivrea, after the town of Ivrea, or as the Piemontese A ...

industrialise Giuseppe Rivetti and built in 1924. Today it is the town hall of Ayas. * The ancient village of Champoluc is full of traditional buildings and frescoes. * The Rû Courtaud, an ancient Rû (canal) which carries water from Saint-Jacques to Saint-Vincent.

Society & culture

Tradition and folklore

The woodwork of the ''sabotiers d'Ayas'' is renowned for its

sabot Sabot may refer to: * Sabot (firearms), disposable supportive device used in gunpowder ammunitions to fit/patch around a sub-caliber projectile * Sabot (shoe), a type of wooden shoe People * Dick Sabot (1944–2005), American economist and bus ...

shoes, known in the

local dialect Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

as ''tsôques'' (). There are many popular tales which are recounted about the villages and some local places, like the chapel of Salus and the hermitage of Résy.

Language and dialects

Apart from official French and Italian, in addition to the patois valdôtain, the local population also understand

as a result of the geographical proximity and historical links with

Canavese Canavese ( French: ''Canavais''; Piedmontese: ''Canavèis'') is a subalpine geographical and historical area of North-West Italy which lies today within the Metropolitan City of Turin in Piedmont. Its main town is Ivrea and it is famous for its c ...

Institutions, entities and associations

The ''Compagnie des guides de Champoluc-Ayas'', a society of mountain guides is found in

Education

There are kindergartens and elementary schools in Ayas. The municipal library is based at Antagnod.

Museums

* The Museum of Religious Art, located in the Antagnod cemetery chapel, contains some objects which attest the richness of the Church in Ayas. * The seat of the guides, a building in rascard style called the "Maison des Guides", is located in Champoluc.

Sport

Tsan, a traditional sport of the Aosta Valley, is played in this municipality.

Economy

The economy of the comune is very different from what it was a century ago. Today it concentrates mostly on tourist activities: hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, chalets, and other

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...

activities. The skiing facilities of

Monterosa Ski The Monterosa Ski is an Italian ski resort, at the foot of Monte Rosa the second tallest mountain in the Alps, which links three valleys, located largely in the Aosta Valley and the remainder in Piedmont. Much of the area consists of easy and int ...

are essential to the economy. There are, however, still some artisanal and agricultural activities. Based on the

tax returns A tax return is a form on which a person or organization presents an account of income and circumstances, used by the tax authorities to determine liability for tax. Tax returns are usually processed by each country's tax authority, known as a ...

of 2006, published in 2007, Ayas is the richest comune in Italy: on average the citizens earn over €66,000 per year.Article in La Repubblica
/ref> This result is affected by the fact that the founder of Fastweb,

Silvio Scaglia Silvio Scaglia (born 14 October 1958) is a Swiss-born media and technological entrepreneur. Scaglia is the founder of Fastweb (telecommunications company), Fastweb, an Italian telecommunications company. Scaglia is the co-owner of Freedom Holdin ...

, lives in the comune.

Tourism

The main activity of Ayas is tourism. Thus in the course of the year the commune and residents offer many activities to holidaymakers to discover the beauty of the territory and culture of Ayas. There are two skiing facilities - one in Antagnod and one in Champoluc. Antagnod was included in the 2008 edition of The most beautiful villages in Italy. Ayas takes part in the Unité des communes valdôtaines de l'Évançon.

People connected to Ayas

* François-Marie Dandrès ( Fontainemore, 4 July 1791 – Ayas, 7 December 1866) was of great importance to Ayas, although a minor individual in the History of the Aosta Valley. Appointed parish pried in 1817, he was particularly concerned with the education of children and adults, having many schools built and expanded for this purpose in Ayas. The schools of Antagnod and Champoluc (1819) were founded by him. In addition, Dandrès had several religious buildings built and restored, as well as expanding the church of Antagnod.

Natives of Ayas

* Évalde Obert (1912-1990) - nicknamed ''lo méhtre Tatcha'' (the Master Tatcha), poet in patois valdôtain. * Simone Origone, speed skier * Ivan Origone, speed skier *

Antonio Fosson Antonio Fosson (born 11 October 1951) is an Italian politician. Antonio was elected president of Aosta Valley from 10 December 2018 to 16 December 2019. Antonio is a member of the Pour Notre Vallée Party. Biography Antonio was born in Ivrea, ...

- Italian senator (2008-2013) * Louis de Jyaryot - singer/songwriter in patois valdôtain

Other individuals

Edmondo de Amicis Edmondo De Amicis (; 21 October 1846 – 11 March 1908) was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet, and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel ''Heart''. Early career Born in Oneglia (today part of the city of Imperia), h ...

, writer *

Guido Gozzano Guido Gustavo Gozzano (; 19 December 1883 – 9 August 1916) was an Italian poet and writer. Biography He was born in Turin, the son of Fausto Gozzano, an engineer, and of Diodata Mautino, the daughter of Senator Mautino, patriot and supporter ...

, writer *

Giuseppe Saragat Giuseppe Saragat (; 19 September 1898 – 11 June 1988) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as President of Italy from 1964 to 1971. Early life Saragat was born on 19 September 1898 in Turin, Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy, to Sard ...

, politician and

President of Italy The president of Italy, officially titled President of the Italian Republic (), is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity and guarantees that Politics of Italy, Italian politics comply with the Consti ...

Gallery

Image:Plastico_villaggio_walser_crest_ad_ayas_235.jpg, Plastic of Crest, a walser village above Champoluc on the orographic left of the Ayas valley Image:Haut_Val_d'Ayas.JPG, Panorama of the High Ayas valley seen from Bisous hamlet Image:Inscription_cimetière_Antagnod.JPG, Entrance to the Antagnod Cemetery

References

Bibliography

* A.A V.V. ''Ayas: storia, usi, costumi e tradizioni della valle, con fotografie di Gianfranco Bini'', Ayas: Società guide Champoluc, vol 1–2, 1968 * A.A. V.V. ''Guida Rurale della Valle d'Aosta''. Comunità Montana Evançon, Assessorato Agricoltura e Risorse Naturali - Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta, 2009. * Mario Aldrovandi (ed.), ''La Valle di Champoluc'': Challant, Brusson, Ayas, Torino: Lattès, 1931 * Pierre-Joseph Alliod, ''Grammaire du patois d'Ayas'', Aoste: Duc, 1998 * Abbé Louis Bonin, ''Vallée de Challand - Brusson - Guide et folk-lore'', Mondovì, Mondovì Tipografia Commerciale, 1928. * Luigi Capra, Giuseppe Saglio, ''Immagini di devozione popolare nel territorio di Ayas: pitture murali su abitazioni, cappelle e oratori, dal XVI al XX secolo in un comune della Valle d'Aosta'', Ivrea: Priuli & Verlucca, 2005 * Garavoglia Claudio, ''Ayas ieri e oggi'' = ''Ayas iér é ouèi'', 2007 * Saverio Favre, Luigi Capra, Giuseppe Scaglio, ''I sabotier d'Ayas. Mestiere tradizionale di una comunità valdostana'', Priuli & Verlucca ed., Ivrea, 1995 * Saverio Favre, ''Les mystères du jugement et de l'antéchrist dans l'ancien carnaval d'Ayas'', Société académique, religieuse et scientifique du Duché d'Aoste, 8, 2003, pp. 73–128 * G. Chiej-Gamacchio, ''La fabbricazione degli scroi o sabots: nota'', Torino: Bona, 1916 * Amé Gorret & Giovanni Varale, ''Guida illustrata della Valle di Challant o d'Ayas'', Biella: Tipografia commerciale, 1899 * Gabriella & Gian Piero Morchio, ''La memoria storica di Ayas: scritti e testimonianze nel "Canton de Magnea"'', 2nd edition, Genova, 1997. * Gabriella & Gian Piero Morchio, ''Teutsch Aiatzer-Thal: la presenza walser ad Ayas'', Genova, 1999. * Alina Piazza, "Ayas, Pian Portola, roccia a coppelle", ''Bulletin d'études préhistoriques et archéologiques alpines'', vol. 12, 2001, pp. 189–190. * Cesare Poma, ''Il dialetto di Ayas'', Torino: G. Candeletti, 1884 * Claudine Remacle, ''Danilo Marco, Giovanni Thumiger, Ayas: uomini e architettura'', Saint-Christophe: Duc, 2005 * Claudine Remacle, ''Construire en montagne: l'exemple d'Ayas à travers les prix-faits du XVIIe et du XVIIIe siècle'', Archivum Augustanum, 2, 2002, pp. 59–111. * Marco Soggetto, ''"Le Vette della Val d'Ayas"'', L'Escursionista Editore, Rimini, 2008. * Ugo Torra, ''La Valle di Challant-Ayas: le sue antichità'', Ivrea: Bardessono, 1958. * Ornella Vergnano Gambi, Roberto Gabbrielli, ''La composizione minerale della vegetazione degli affioramenti ofiolitici dell'alta Valle di Ayas'', 1981

External links

*
An Italian Website concerning the Ayas Valley, with available English translations
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Aosta Valley

Geography

Physical geography

Flora and fauna

History

Monuments and locations of interest

Religious architecture

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References

Bibliography

External links