Por el camino

METROPOLITAN CITY OF TURIN

Replaced the province of Turin in 2015

Capital: Turin

Population: 2.2 million

Surface area: 6,827 km2.

Main towns: Turin (850,000 inhabitants), Moncalieri (56,500 inhabitants), Collegno (49,200 inhabitants)

Specialities: agnolotti (stuffed ravioli), tajarin (truffle pasta), Barolo risotto, polenta carbonara, chicken chasseur, stuffed artichokes, gianduiotto (chocolate), Bicerin, vermouth. Gressins. Sabayon.

Tourism: Residences of the Dukes of Savoy. Turin, city of art and history. Ski resorts of Oulx, Bardonecchia and Sestrières. Ivrea. Lake Maggiore. Turin Film Festival. Lovers Film Festival. International Women's Film Festival. CioccolaTo (chocolate festival). Torino Jazz Festival. Artissima (modern art), Mito Settembre Musica (September). Turin International Book Fair.

Economy: the province of Turin's main exports are automobiles, machinery and metal products. Services are the most important economic sector, accounting for 66% of gross domestic product. The other two main sectors are industry (32%) and agriculture. To promote entrepreneurship, the province has launched the "Start Your Own Business" operation.

ROURE (POP: 900)

The village's name, deemed too French by the Fascists, was changed to Roreto in 1937, before the inhabitants voted in a referendum in 1975 to return it to its original name of Roure. 

USSEAUX (POP: 200)

Usseaux is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and has been awarded the "orange flag" by the Touring Club Italiano in recognition of the quality of its tourism and environmental policies. The village has followed the same historical course as the other communities in the Val Chisone, changing its allegiance to successive rulers: Dauphiné of Viennois from 1091 to 1349, Kingdom of France from 1349 to 1713, Duchy of Savoy in 1713 following the Treaty of Utrecht. After Napoleon's conquest, the region reverted to French rule until the unification of Italy in 1860.  In the village, there are a number of buildings dating from the 18th century, such as the bread oven, the washhouse and the mill, as well as a number of fountains. Usseaux is also adorned with some forty murals, with themes ranging from life in the countryside, the world of nature and animals, to fairytale characters. The parish church dedicated to St. Peter is remarkable. The hamlet of Balboutet boasts a large number of original painted sundials, all different and adorned with graceful illustrative motifs. A nobleman from Usseaux, Eugenio Brunetta d'Usseaux, was one of the founding members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

SESTRIERE (POP: 920)

A winter sports resort created between 1930 and 1934 by the Agnelli family on the idea of Benito Mussolini, Sestriere is a major centre of alpine skiing and in 2006 hosted the events of the Turin Olympic Games, which saw Antoine Denériaz win the downhill, Benjamin Raich win the technical events and Michaela Dorfmeister win the women's downhill and Super-G events. Sestriere also hosted the World Championships in 1997.  Cycling has also made its mark here, with the Tour de France stopping here on four occasions, three times crowning the eventual overall winner and, in particular, the first finish in 1952, when Fausto Coppi won in yellow, the day after taking over at l'Alpe d'Huez. The Giro has also been visited Sestriere on eight occasions: during its last passage in 2020, the riders had to cross the eponymous pass three times, the passage into France having been made impossible by covid-19. Tao Geoghegan Hart won there, leaving the pink jersey to Jai Hindley by just a few hundredths of a second. The resort is symbolised by its two towers, one red and one white, built in 1930 by Giovanni Agnelli to provide a holiday destination for FIAT workers in Turin. 

SOUTH PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE-D'AZUR REGION

Departments: Alpes de Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse.

Population: 5.1 million

Prefecture: Marseille

Surface area: 31,400 km2

Specialities: Mediterranean cuisine, pizza, pissaladière, panisses, chichis, bouillabaisse, petits farcis (stuffed vegetables), alouette sans tête (mea trolls), pieds et paquets marseillais (lamb feet), salade niçoise, pan bagnat, gardiane de taureau (bull stew), sea urchins, fish (sea bream, sea bass, red mullet, denti, marbled, pageots, pagres, sars), wines (rosés of Provence, côtes de Provence, côtes du Rhône, Palette, Bandol...).

Sports clubs: Olympique Marseille, OGC Nice (football), Rugby Club Toulon. Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille (swimming).

Competitions: football world cup, Euro 2016 football, rugby world cup, rugby test matches, Tour de France cycling, Paris-Nice, GP La Marseille, Haribo Classic, Tour du Haut-Var, Tour de la Provence, beach volleyball, beach football, rugby in Toulon. Mondial à pétanque in Marseille. 

Tourist attractions: beaches and seaside resorts (Saint-Tropez, Nice, Saint-Raphaël, Fréjus, Cassis, Bandol etc...), Palais des Papes in Avignon, Arles (amphitheatre, Roman remains), Marseille (Old Port, Panier, calanques, château d'If, Mucem), Nice (Promenade des Anglais, old Nice, old port), Mont Ventoux, Cannes, ski resorts in the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes maritimes (Serre-Chevalier, Le Sauze, Orcières-Merlette, Isola 2000), Briançon (citadel), Aix-en-Provence.

Economy: 7% of French GDP, 3e region in France, 16e in Europe. Agriculture (wine, market gardening), service sector (80%), universities (Aix-Marseille, France's leading university, Nice, Toulon), ports (Marseille, La Ciotat, Nice), petrochemicals (Fos), logistics, Nice and Marseille airports, tourism.

Festivals: Cannes Festival (cinema), Avignon Festival (theatre), Chorégies d'Orange, Aix en Provence Festival (opera), Jazz à Nice, Marseille Festival (dance). Midem (Cannes), Marsatac (Marseille), Fiesta des Suds (Marseille), Plages électroniques (Cannes), Rencontres d'Arles (photography).

Website: www.maregionsud.fr

MONTGENÈVRE (POP: 460)

Montgenevre lies close to the French-Italian border, on a pass at an altitude of 1,860 metres. The Durance river rises here on the slopes of the summit of Les Anges. It is also part of the Franco-Italian Voie Lactée (Milky Way) ski area (the 5th largest ski area in the world, comprising Claviere, San Sicario, Cesana, Sestriere and Sauze d'Oulx). Situated on the Via Domitia, the town may have seen Hannibal marching on Rome. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte had the pass road widened and an obelisk erected to commemorate this work. Its border location made it a strategic sector dotted with forts, the Chaberton fort, the Gondran fort and the Janus fort. The ski resort was launched in 1907.  

Chaberton Fort

Construction: 1900 to 1914.

History: at an altitude of 3,131 metres, it was built by the Italians between 1900 and 1914. At the time, Italy was allied with Germany and Austria in the Triple Alliance. At the time, it was the highest fort in Europe and its batteries were turned towards the French side. To achieve this, the summit had to be mined to lower its height by 6 metres. No fewer than 300 civilian workers and miners were needed to achieve this technical and human feat, which consisted of eight turrets. These formed the visible part of the building, which was mainly underground. On 10 June 1940, Mussolini declared war on France. On 21 June, the French in the surrounding forts bombarded the Chaberton and its 320 men, even though they had a clear lead over them. It took just 57 mortar shells to destroy most of the Italian batteries. Attached to France in 1947 (Treaty of Paris), the fort was definitively disarmed in 1957. Today, it is a destination for hikers, and some of its remains can still be seen.

BRIANCON (POP: 12,800)

A mountain town with a Mediterranean climate, cradled between the Écrins National Park and the Queyras Regional Nature Park, Briançon enjoys an exceptional natural setting. From the wide-open spaces of the valleys to the famous passes of the Route des Grandes Alpes, Briançon is a cycling stronghold. From the Izoard to the Galibier via the Lautaret, the roads in the area are a must for cycling enthusiasts and professionals alike. Briançon also boasts a rich cultural heritage, blending influences from the Alps and Provence. The town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Vauban fortifications. The shared history of the Tour de France and Briançon began in 1922 with a stage win by Philippe Thys, who was already the first three-time winner of the event. Since then, the names of some of the Tour's most illustrious champions have been added to the honours list of the fortified town: Gino Bartali, Louison Bobet, Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Gastone Nencini, Federico Bahamontes and Eddy Merckx, all Tour winners. Of all of them, Louison Bobet is undoubtedly the one who left the biggest mark on the Hautes-Alpes prefecture, with three victories in 1950, 1953 and 1954. During the last finish in the town in 2007, Colombian Mauricio Soler, who that year was also awarded the title of best climber, achieved the most resounding success of his career. Ten years later, a stage that started in Briançon enabled Warren Barguil to win at the Izoard, confirm his victory a few days earlier in Foix and claim the polka-dot jersey of best climber of that edition. Finally, in 2022, Briançon served as the starting point for a stage that revealed the climbing and, above all, descending skills of Tom Pidcock, who won at L'Alpe d'Huez.   

Vauban's fortifications

Construction: between 1724 and 1734

Characteristics: Strategically located at an altitude of 1,326 metres, the upper town of Briançon is a unique mountain fortification. Encircled by ramparts designed by Vauban, it is itself crowned by high-altitude forts, making it impregnable. This majestic and imposing site provides an insight into the genius of the adaptations made by Louis XIV's famous military engineer. Although many of these works were completed after his death, they were built according to his principles until 1734.

Listing: since July 2008, Vauban's fortifications in Briançon have been listed as a World Heritage Site alongside eleven other French sites in the Vauban Major Sites Network . Seven works located in the commune have had the privilege of obtaining this recognition in view of their authenticity, their state of conservation, their representativeness and the development policy to which they are subject. 

Trois têtes Fort

Foundation: built in the 18th century.

History: this is the most important fortified structure in the Briancon region. It overlooks the Fontenil and Fontchristiane valleys and the fortified town. As early as 1700, Vauban emphasised the strategic importance of its position and construction began in 1721 under the direction of two engineers, Tardif and Nègre.

Characteristics: it is made up of three fronts and a low fort (with the full range of defences of the period: half-moons, reverse fire, covered path, etc.). Its surface area, one and a half times that of the old town, provided barracks for 1,250 men and around 70 artillery pieces in the event of the town being taken (it could also be used as a fallback base).  At the heart of the defensive system, it is linked to the town by the Asfeld bridge and to the Randouillet fort by a Y-shaped link. It was never completed. The chapel was converted into barracks in the 19th century.

Listed as: Historical Monument in 1989 / UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 (Vauban fortifications).

CHANTEMERLE  

The Luc Alphand trail

Located on the Chantemerle site, the Luc Alphand piste is a real showcase for Serre-Chevalier. It winds its way between the Champcella and Souliers mountain chalets and plunges down a steep wall into the village of Chantemerle. The route features a variety of technical sections that are well known to competitors. Used for competition, it was given its name in 1998 after the World Cup victories of Luc Alphand, who has always trained on this track.

LE MONÊTIER-LES-BAINS (POP: 1,010)

A Roman spa and later the seat of a priory that gave it its name, Le Monêtier is part of Serre-Chevalier and hosted the start of a stage of the Tour in 1996.   

Museum of Sacred Art

Opened in 1997, the Saint-Pierre Chapel Museum in Monêtier-les-Bains houses one of the finest collections of sacred art in the Hautes-Alpes. This religious heritage is made up of polychrome wood, silverware and liturgical ornaments, the oldest dating back to the 15th century. As well as being a feast for the eyes, they bear witness to the vitality of the local people over the centuries, and to their devotion, much of which is linked to the harsh mountain environment.

SAVOIE (73)

Region: Auvergne Rhône-Alpes

Population: 442,500

Surface area: 6,028 km²

Number of cantons: 19

Number of communes: 273

Prefecture: Chambery (Pop: 59,629)

Sub-prefectures: Albertville, St-Jean-de-Maurienne

Specialities: Raclette, tartiflette, fondue, crozets (square-shaped pasta made from buckwheat flour), diots and pormoniers (pork sausages cooked in white wine), Saint-Genix (brioche with red pralines), Savoy cake, chocolate truffles, bugnes (doughnuts), génépi (mountain plant liqueur), Savoy cheeses (Tome des Bauges, Beaufort).

Sport: Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc Handball (D1), AG2R-Citroën team (cycling), Aix Maurienne Savoie Basket (ProB) / Events: Alpine World Ski Championships Courchevel-Méribel 2023, Mountain Bike World Championships-Les Gets, August 2022. 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics.

Heritage: Hautecombe Abbey (on the banks of Lac du Bourget), Château of the Dukes of Savoy (Chambéry), Esseillon barrier forts (Haute Maurienne), La Vanoise National Park, Bauges and Chartreuse Massifs Regional Nature Park, Lake Bourget, Lake Aiguebelette.

Economy: tourism, agri-food, eco-industries, mountain industries, composite materials, information and communication technologies, metalworking

Culture: Musilac in Aix-les-Bains, Les Estivales en Savoie in Chambéry, Le Grand Bivouac in Albertville, Les Arcs European Film Festival

Websites and social networks:www.savoie.fr / https://www.facebook.com/SavoieDepartement/ / https://twitter.com/SavoieDepart / https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/savoiemontblancFR/ / @savoiemontblancFR / https://twitter.com/SavoieMontBlanc  / https://www.pinterest.fr/savoiemontblanc/ / https://www.instagram.com/savoiemontblanc/ / https://www.youtube.com/user/SavoieMontBlanc

Pinerolo

Enclavada en los Alpes, Pinerolo es un remanso de paz, con sus encantadoras plazas bajo las majestuosas montañas.  

En el corazón de la ciudad se alza el majestuoso Duomo, dedicado a San Donato de Arezzo. La ciudad también es conocida por su historia militar, que se puede descubrir en su museo de caballería.  

Piérdete por las callejuelas medievales de Pinerolo cuesta arriba y disfrutarás de los refrescantes aires alpinos y una sensacionales vistas panorámicas. Y después, entra en una trattoria local para saborear su excepcional gastronomía y el vino de la zona. Pinerolo es la puerta de entrada a los Alpes italianos, un idílico refugio lejos de la cansina vida cotidiana".

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