Val Soana

The book offers a choice of itineraries of all difficulties, in a valley where corners of wild nature still exist and where time seems to have stopped. Within the borders of the Gran Paradiso National Park, or outside of it, you will find villages and hamlets clinging to the mountain with surprising architecture. You will find traces of the ancient civilization of peasant shepherds, of the ancient crafts practiced by these people, of the Christian faith and devotion which in beliefs still finds archaic points of contact with pre-Christian paganism. In this valley the Franco-Provençal or Arpitan dialect is still spoken, in an language similar to that spoken in the neighboring Cogne Valley. An opportunity to understand the origins of local toponyms and traditions that are still alive. All in a setting made of high mountains, impervious and solitary valleys, in contact with rich and varied wildlife. The book is enriched by detailed cartographic tables, in-depth articles for each excursion and dozens of color photos.