Pragelato
Encyclopedia
Pragelato is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 60 km west of Turin
, in the upper Val Chisone
. The name Pragelato, meaning ‘icy meadow’, has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods. On both sides of the Chisone
, extensive forests of pine and larch provide protection from the avalanches which are a common occurrence in the winter season: for this reason in the nineteenth century the people of Pragelato were only permitted to fell trees close to the mountain summits, and even then only with the permission of the communal administration.
Pragelato borders the following municipalities: Exilles
, Oulx
, Salbertrand
, Usseaux
, Fenestrelle
, Sauze d'Oulx
, Massello
, Sestriere
, Sauze di Cesana
, Salza di Pinerolo
, Prali
.
of the latter, it became a possession of the House of Savoy
.
In 1747 the Assietta Hill, nearby the village, was the seat of the eponymous battle
. During the 19th and 20th century, much of the population emigrated to France.
Pragelato was the site of three sports hosted during the 2006 Winter Olympics
. Its ski jump
hosted the ski jumping
and the ski jumping part of the nordic combined
events of the 2006 Winter Olympics
. The flat part
of the venue hosted the cross-country skiing
and cross country skiing part of the nordic combined events for those same games.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
Province of Turin
The Province of Turin is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin.It has an area of 6,830 km², and a total population of 2,277,686 . There are 315 comuni in the province – the most of any province in Italy...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, located about 60 km west of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, in the upper Val Chisone
Val Chisone
The Val Chisone is one of the Occitan valleys of western Piedmont, situated in the Cottian Alps of north-west Italy.-Geography:Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestriere...
. The name Pragelato, meaning ‘icy meadow’, has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods. On both sides of the Chisone
Chisone
The Chisone is a 50 km Italian torrent, which runs through Pragelato, Fenestrelle, Perosa Argentina and Pinerolo in the Province of Turin. It is a tributary of the Pellice, which in turn is a tributary of the Po River...
, extensive forests of pine and larch provide protection from the avalanches which are a common occurrence in the winter season: for this reason in the nineteenth century the people of Pragelato were only permitted to fell trees close to the mountain summits, and even then only with the permission of the communal administration.
Pragelato borders the following municipalities: Exilles
Exilles
Exilles is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin, on the border with France...
, Oulx
Oulx
Oulx is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km west of Turin, in the Susa Valley on the border with France.-Names:...
, Salbertrand
Salbertrand
Salbertrand is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 522 and an area of 40.9 km²....
, Usseaux
Usseaux
Usseaux is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 190 and an area of 38.5 km²....
, Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin.It is home to the Fenestrelle Fort.-External links:*...
, Sauze d'Oulx
Sauze d'Oulx
Sauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont located 80 kilometres from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of monte Genevris ....
, Massello
Massello
Massello is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin, in the Valle Germanasca....
, Sestriere
Sestriere
Sestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
, Sauze di Cesana
Sauze di Cesana
Sauze di Cesana is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km west of Turin, on the border with France...
, Salza di Pinerolo
Salza di Pinerolo
Salza di Pinerolo is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southwest of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 73 and an area of 15.3 km²....
, Prali
Prali
Prali is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southwest of Turin, on the border with France...
.
History
Pragelato was part of the Escartons Republic, a semi-independent French state which lasted from 1343 to 1713. After the Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
of the latter, it became a possession of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
.
In 1747 the Assietta Hill, nearby the village, was the seat of the eponymous battle
Battle of Assietta
The Battle of Assietta was fought in the Italian campaign of the War of the Austrian Succession on July 19, 1747. It resulted in a defeat for France against the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia.-Background:...
. During the 19th and 20th century, much of the population emigrated to France.
Pragelato was the site of three sports hosted during the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. Its ski jump
Stadio del Trampolino
Stadio del Trampolino is a ski jumping hill located in Pragelato, Italy. During the 2006 Winter Olympics, it hosted the ski jumping and the ski jumping part of the nordic combined events.- References :* Volume 3. pp. 70-1.*...
hosted the ski jumping
Ski jumping at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ski jumping at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over nine days, from 11 February to 20 February. Three events were contested in Pragelato.-Medal table:-Events:...
and the ski jumping part of the nordic combined
Nordic combined at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Nordic combined at the 2006 Winter Olympics, consisted of three events held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. The events took place in Pragelato.-Medal table:-Events:...
events of the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. The flat part
Pragelato Plan
Pragelato Plan is a cross country skiing venue located in Pragelato, Italy. It hosted the cross-country skiing and the cross country skiing portion of the nordic combined events for the 2006 Winter Olympics in neighboring Turin....
of the venue hosted the cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The cross-country skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics featured 12 events, from February 11, 2006 to 26 February 2006 at Pragelato in Turin.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-Participating nations:...
and cross country skiing part of the nordic combined events for those same games.
Ski area
Pragelato includes the following skiing areas:- Pragelato ski (about 50 km of slopes)
- Via LatteaVia LatteaThe Via Lattea is a winter sports area in the Italian and French Alps, straddling the French-Italian border at Claviere/Montgenèvre. Located some 70km west of Turin, it comprises the five Piedmontese resorts of Claviere , Sansicario , Sauze d'Oulx , Pragelato and Sestriere and additionally the...
ski (about 400 km of slopes). Via Lattea resorts are: SestriereSestriereSestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
, Sauze d'OulxSauze d'OulxSauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont located 80 kilometres from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of monte Genevris ....
, MontgenevreMontgenèvreMontgenèvre is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:Montgenèvre is located in the French Cottian Alps. It is on the Franco-Italian border at the top of the Col de Montgenèvre....
, ClaviereClaviereClaviere is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km west of Turin, on the border with France....
, Pragelato, San Sicario, Cesana.
Natural parks
- Val Troncea Nature Reserve
- Orsiera Nature Reserve, which stretches across the Northern Cottian AlpsCottian AlpsThe Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy...
and encompasses the Val Chisone, Val Susa and Val Sangone. On average, the borders of this protected area reach 1,400 metres and include a wealth of fauna and historical landmarks, including rock engravings and military buildings. - Alpine lakes include the Lakes of Cristalliera, where herds of mouflon come to graze, Lake Chardonnet, the Lakes of Beth, which afford views of the old abandoned copper mines, and the Lakes of Albergian, where edelweiss and Alpine aster blossom in summer.
External links
- Summer & Winter: Official Tourism Information
- City Council Official website
- Pragelato SKI - new website