Italian Land and Nature:
The Susa Valley and Its Villages
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Val di Susa, a valley so beautiful it leaves one agape, alternates in a pattern of intensely-verdant fields and skyscraping, yet gently-rolling peaks. It is nature withdrawn, but not so remote as to be inaccessible: a swift, modern highway traverses it, connecting the Valley to both Turin and France, each less than one hour away. (The two countries were first linked by the railway tunnel known as Frejus in 1871, the first of its size and kind in the Alps at the time, at 40,135 feet in length).
The presence of numerous Alpine crossings make it easy to trek these parts in any climatic condition; these crossings have also tended to characterize the diffusion of many spiritual, cultural, commercial and touristic developments in the Val di Susa.
See
This Valley has long been an obligatory transit route at once for Catholic pilgrims (along the Via Francigena), and for merchants, soldiers and artists traveling to the Holy Land. Some of the most celebrated spots on its map include Avigliana, Bardonecchia, Bussoleno, Cesana, Sauzed'Oulx, Sestriere and Susa, also known as the “key to Italy” for its natural strategic position.
From Turin towards Susa one can get to Avigliana, important hub for the Valley; Avigliana developed as a sort Roman Empire-era and Middle Ages way-station, and in its environs lies the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park, right at the base of Monte Pirchiriano. Pirchiriano is home to the age-old Sacra di San Michele Abbey, otherwise known as being the inspiration for Umberto Eco’s famous novel, The Name of the Rose. Among the best-preserved architectonic structures in the Susa Valley is the Castello di Villardora, a Medieval feudal residence located on a low, rocky hill at the village’s center. Locals link this castle to the legend of the Iron Mask – supposedly Villa Dora (aka Fort Exilles), also named as one of the Piedmont Region’s most imposing fortifications.