The Occitan Valleys(; ; ; ; ) are the part of Occitania (the territory of the Occitan language) within the borders of Italy. It is a mountainous region in the southern Alps. Most of its valleys are oriented eastward and descend toward the plains of Piedmont.
The area has a population of inhabitants (July, 2013). Its major towns are Lo Borg Sant Dalmatz (Borgo San Dalmazzo), Buscha (Busca), Boves (Bueves) and Draonier (Dronero).
The Occitan linguistic enclave of La Gàrdia (Guardia Piemontese) in Calabria does not belong to the Occitan Valleys.
A 1999 Italian law ("Law 482") provides for the protection of linguistic minorities, including Occitan.Loi du 15 décembre 1999, no 482 en italien et en français
Communities with clear Occitan presence before the 482/99 Act
These are the villages where an autochthonous Provençal-speaking community has surely settled and may still speak the language. Around 35% of the population (stats by Enrico Allasino, IRES 2005 and IRES Piemonte no.113/2007) declared to be able to speak or understand the local Provençal language, with various levels of proficiency. Italian and Piedmontese are spoken by the majority of the people in the area, and the patois is much influenced by both the other two languages. Val d'Ors Upper Susa Valley Bardonescha Bardonecchia Cesana Cesana Torinese Chaumont Chiomonte Las Clavieras Claviere Exilhas Exilles Ols or Ors Oulx Salbertrand Salbertrand Lo Grand Sauze Sauze di Cesana Lo Sauze (d'Ors) Sauze d'Oulx La Sestriera Sestriere Val Cluson Alta Val Chisone Finoistrèlas Fenestrelle Praamòl Pramollo Prajalats Pragelato Lo Rore Roure Usseaus Usseaux Val Sant MartinVal Sopata Val Germanasca Pomaret Pomaretto Massèl Massello Lo Perier Perrero Praal Prali Salsa Salza di Pinerolo Val Pèlis Val Pellice Angrònha Angrogna Buèbi Bobbio Pellice La Tor Torre Pellice Lo Vialar Villar Pellice Val Pò Alta Valle Po Ostana Ostana Val Varacha Val Varaita Blins Bellino Chastèldalfin Casteldelfino Fraisse Frassino Lo Mèl Melle Pont e la Chanal Pontechianale Sant Pèire Sampeyre Valmala Valmala Venascha Venasca Val Maira Val Maira Acelh Acceglio Cartinhan Cartignano Chanuelhas Canosio Cèlas Celle di Macra Elva Elva L'Arma Macra La Màrmol Marmora Prats Prazzo San Dumian San Damiano Macra Estròp Stroppo Val Grana Valle Grana Chastèlmanh Castelmagno Montrós Monterosso Grana Pradievi Pradleves Val d'Estura Valle Stura Aison Aisone L'Argentiera Argentera Demont Demonte Pèirapuerc Pietraporzio La Ròca Roccasparvera Sambuc Sambuco Vinai Vinadio Val Ges Valle Gesso Entraigas Entracque Roascha Roaschia Vaudier Valdieri Val Vermenanha Val Vermenagna Limon Limone Piemonte Robilant Robilante Lou Vernant Vernante
Communities whose Occitan community is extinct
In these communities, apart from Italian, the most widely spoken language is Piedmontese. In the past, in the lower Val Chisone, Waldensian communities were the major part of the population. Chisone, Pellice and Germanasca Valleys were referred as "Waldensian Valleys" and the local Provençal speech was called "Waldesian language", and it was opposed to the language of the Catholic population which was Piedmontese. The Lower Chisone Valley in the 20th century had a rapid industrial growth, and since then the Waldensian was replaced by Piedmontese in the most populous villages. In Oncino and Crissolo the local patois disappeared after a dramatic depopulation. Val Cluson Val Chisone L'Envèrs de Pinascha Inverso Pinasca Peirosa Perosa Argentina Pinascha Pinasca Prustin Prarostino San Geman San Germano Chisone Lis Vialars Villar Perosa Val Po Valle Po Criçòl Crissolo Oncin Oncino
Communities claimed to be Occitan since the 482/99 Act
These are the communities which are referred as "Occitan" in the text of the 482/99 Act, and by the agency of linguistic safeguard Chambra d'Oc, even if there was no previous source which supported this appellation. All these villages and towns lack the historical rootedness of the linguistic minority, because no linguist noticed any Occitan presence before the law. In these cases the Provençal translation of the place name doesn't exist, or it's an exonym used by the patoisants of the upper valleys to indicate the lower valley settlements, or it is the transliteration in Occitan orthography of the Piedmontese/Ligurian toponym. Val Cluson Alta Val Chisone Las Pòrtas Porte - Pinerolese Campilhon e Fenil Campiglione-Fenile Cantaloba Cantalupa Frussasc Frossasco Pinairòl Pinerolo Rolet Roletto Sant Pière San Pietro Val Lemina San Segond San Secondo di Pinerolo Val Pèlis Val Pellice Bibiana - Bibiana Bricairàs - Bricherasio Luserna e San Jan Luserna San Giovanni Lusernèta Lusernetta Val Infernòt e Plana Padana Valle Infernotto e Pianura Padana Barge Barge Banhòl Bagnolo Piemonte Envie Envie Revèl Revello Val Pò Valle Po Brondèl Brondello Castelar Castellar Gambasca Gambasca Martinhana Martiniana Po Paisana Paesana Panh Pagno Rifred Rifreddo Sant Frònt Sanfront Val Varacha Val Varaita Brossasc Brossasco Isascha Isasca Peasc Piasco Rossana Rossana Val Maira Val Maira Busca Busca Draonier Dronero La Ròca Roccabruna Lo Vilar Villar San Costanzo Val Grana Valle Grana Bernès Bernezzo Caralh Caraglio Cervasca Cervasca Montomal Montemale di Cuneo Valgrana Valgrana Val d'Estura Valle Stura Lo Borg Borgo San Dalmazzo Gaiòla Gaiola Moiòla Moiola Ritana Rittana Valàuria Valloriate Vinhòl Vignolo Val Ges Valle Gesso Rocavion Roccavione Region de Mondòvi Mondovì neighbourhood Frabosa Sobrana Frabosa Soprana Frabosa Sotana Frabosa Sottana Roburent Roburent Ròcafòrt Roccaforte Mondovì Vilanòva Villanova Mondovì Val Pes Valle Pesio Bueves - Boves La Clusa - Chiusa di Pesio Poranh Peveragno Tèrra Brigasca Upper Tanaro Valley Ra Briga Auta Briga Alta Viosèna Viozene di Ormea Reaud Realdo di Triora Verdeja Verdeggia di Triora Val Ròia Roja Valley Auriveta Olivetta San Michele
See also Baìo Occitan folk music John Charles Beckwith Luserna San Giovanni Val Pellice
References