Valle d'Aosta

The smallest region in Italy, Valle d'Aosta (the Aosta Valley) is a varied-climate area in the north. It claims borders with both Switzerland and France, as well as its neighboring Italian region of Piedmont. Because of its size and low population, Valle d'Aosta has a capital city - Aosta - but no provinces. Instead, the area is divided into 74 communes, each with its own local government reporting directly to regional authorities. Largely mountainous, the region's weather conditions can vary vastly almost from mile to mile. Lower areas up through the valleys tend to enjoy milder weather, similar to that found on the coastal areas. As the terrain stretches upward, however, the climate becomes progressively drier and colder, culminating in Italian Alpine peaks that remain frozen year round.

Though the region has a history of subsistence agriculture (a result of its relative isolation), recent developments in damming operations have brought metalworking factories into the area. With a large plots of agricultural land being bought for industrial purposes, the focus is now shifting more towards Valle d'Aosta's ideal location as a winter sports destination. It is very popular with Europeans for its prime skiing especially since certain parts of the region remain frozen throughout the year. Accessing Valle d'Aosta is easier now than in years past with the development of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, a roadway underneath the Alps connecting Aosta with Chamonix, France.

Valle d'Aosta's unique location and long history of invasion from neighboring lands (the narrow mountain passes have always been particularly coveted as a strategic military bottleneck) have combined to entrench an interesting and diverse mix of languages and cooking influences that include pockets of Italian, French and German. In part because of this diversity, Valle d'Aosta is one of only five regions in Italy granted a special form of self-governing autonomy under Italian law. This autonomy allows the region to keep the bulk of its culture intact under the watchful guidance of locals, some with family roots no doubt stretching back to the rule of Charlemagne and beyond. This diversity makes the numerous local festivals a must-see for any traveler interested in distinctive food and frivolity.

Culinarily speaking, the best-loved dishes in the area cover as much cultural ground as the languages. Polentas, well-respected throughout many other regions of Italy, hold pride of place right alongside Swiss-like fondues and creamy butter sauces. Dairy farming is still important in the region as a result. Overall, food is relatively simple but hearty: stews thickened with bread, game meats or beef braised with chestnuts in wine sauces, smoked pork and sausages, fresh rye breads with local dark and slightly bitter honeys, rich and nutty fontina cheeses, strong and fiery grappas, creamy panna cottas.

The valleys offer a wealth of late-season crops like cabbage, grapes, apples and garlic, and while vintages are small the wines produced in the area are of excellent quality. The area's gem is the incomparable fontina cheese, and it figures heavily in everything from appetizers to desserts. By far, one of the favorite and most representative dishes of the Valle d'Aosta is zuppa di valpelline, a thick and delightful fall soup made from fresh cabbage, rye bread and fontina cheese and flavored with smoky ham. Easy to prepare, it offers a taste of the Aosta Valley right in your own kitchen.

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