Occitan Valleys

The Occitan Valleys ( Occitan: Valadas occitanas, Italian: Valli occitane ) of Piedmont, a number of alpine valleys on the Italian territory, where in addition to Italian and Piedmontese and Occitan (more precisely: Alpinprovenzalisch ) is spoken. They extend along the Italian-French border in the provinces of Turin, Cuneo and partly in the province of Imperia ( Liguria). In addition to Italian, which is spoken by the total population, 49.5 % of the population speak Occitan. In addition, 65.1 % of the population of the Piedmontese language are powerful.

Geography

The Occitan valleys form an area of ​​4,500 km ² with 174,476 inhabitants (July 2013). It involves a complex orographic region: many parallel valleys that rise in a westerly direction and are separated by mountain ranges. Thus, the exchange and communication between the valleys be difficult, but each one of them within easy reach of the Po Valley. The Po Valley also forms the boundary of the okzitanischsprachigen area. Nevertheless, valleys developed thanks to the two passports Colle della Maddalena ( Col de Larche double ) and Colle del Monginevro (French Col de Montgenevre ) through the centuries close relations with the major Occitan language area, which extends from northern Catalonia over the entire area of southern France.

Language

The Occitan spoken in the valleys of Piedmont is one of the vivaro - aplinen (also Alpinprovenzalisch or Gavot mentioned ) varieties. It is very similar to the Occitan varieties of the Provence Alps.

Occitan is not spoken in all the valleys of Piedmont. The Locanatal and Lanzotal form the Provençal language area with the Aosta Valley. The linguistic border demarcation is located in Susa Valley, which thus occupies a special position. In the high valley of Val di Susa Okzitansich is spoken in the lower valley, including Susa, Franco-Provençal. Thus, the Susa Valley to be fünfspachig ( Occitan in the Valley, Franco-Provençal in the lower valley, Piemotesisch in the larger cities, French in Susa, and generally Italian) the property.