| Susa Valley | |
|---|---|
| Val di Susa (Italian) Val de Suse (French) | |
 The central part of the valley | |
 Map of the valley | |
| Floor elevation | 300–3,612 metres (984–11,850 ft) |
| Length | Around 50 kilometres (31 mi) east-west |
| Naming | |
| Native name |
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| Geology | |
| Type | Mainlyglacial valley |
| Geography | |
| Location | Piedmont (Italy);Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur andAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France) |
| Coordinates | 45°08′N7°03′E / 45.133°N 7.050°E /45.133; 7.050 |
TheSusa Valley (Francoprovençal (or arpitan):Vâl Susa;Italian:Val di Susa;Piedmontese:Valsusa;French:Val de Suse;Occitan:Val d'Ors) is a valley in theMetropolitan City of Turin,Piedmont region ofnorthern Italy, located between theGraian Alps in the north and theCottian Alps in the south. It is one of the longest valleys of theItalian Alps. It extends over 50 kilometres (31 mi) in an east-west direction from theFrench border to the outskirts ofTurin. The valley takes its name from the city ofSusa which lies in the valley. TheDora Riparia river, a tributary of thePo, flows through the valley.
A motorway runs through the valley from Turin toChambéry in France through theFréjus tunnel or by crossing the Col duMont Cenis (2083m), and toBriançon, also inFrance, over theCol de Montgenèvre.
Peaks that surround the valley include:
During the Roman age,Augustus formed an alliance with theSegusini ofCottii Regnum to link Italy and France by building a road through the Valley and over theCol de Montgenèvre (Passo del Monginevro), now 2 km away from the Italian border.
During the Middle Ages, the road was calledVia Francigena, andpilgrims arriving from France passed throughMont Cenis and the Susa Valley on their way toRome. It was one of the most used Alpine passes from the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century. Severalabbeys were built to accommodate pilgrims, such asNovalesa Abbey founded in 726AD on the foot of a mountain and the monumentalSacra di San Michele abbey.
Protesters have fought a 10-year battle to prevent a57 kilometres (35 mi) rail tunnel being built through the valley.[1]
Media related toVal di Susa at Wikimedia Commons
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