Upper Varaita Valley
Territory  -  Habitat  -  History  -  Architecture  -  Tourism  -  Sports
 
  The upper Varaita Valley has been inhabited since prehistoric times as testified by various petroglyphs and prehistoric tombstones. In the year 950 the valley was attacked by the Saracens who pillored and ravaged the local population repeatedly. They were finally defeated after 22 years thanks to the intervention of William, the Count of Provence.

In the Middle Ages the valley became an important strategic buffer zone key to both military and commercial purposes. In 1320 its name was changed to La Castellata when the French from the Dauphiné took it away from the Marquisate of Saluzzo. The French conquerors built many fortresses there, among them the Castrum Delphini in the capital, today called Casteldelfno.

It became part of the The Republic of Escartons of the Briançonnaise region when this republic was founded in 1343 to gather the communities of Briançon, Queyras, the upper Susa Valley and the upper Chisone Valley all set next to the present border. This period of independence was unusual at the time and lasted until 1713 when the kingdom of France gave the House of Savoy the three Escartons placed on the eastern side (Oulx, Pragelato and Castel Delfino) through the treaty of Utrecht.

However, during the war of the Austrian succession the French-Spanish troops invaded the Castellata repeatedly until 1744 when after a useless, bloody war against the Austrian-Piedmontese army they were defeated near Cuneo. Since then it belonged to the House of Savoy until 1861 when the Dukedom of Savoy was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
           
  Four centuries of Provencal influence have left deep cultural traditions still visible today.

The local Occitan folklore can be experienced through a multitude of festivals, dances and traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation especially in the upper valley within the Castellata (La Ciastelado) region.
 
  The most popular cultural events we can still experience today are the feasts of the "Baìo" in Sampeyre and of the "Beò" in the Bellino Valley representing the Saracens' defeat.
 
  A recent event which is worth mentioning is the film "Il vento fa il suo giro" directed by Giorgio Diritti in 2005 entirely filmed in the nearby Maira Valley with local people as actors speaking the Occitan language with Italian subtitles.
 
Territory  -  Habitat  -  History  -  Architecture  -  Tourism  -  Sports