Territory
The territory of the Canavese Valleys LAG covers an area of 1120.6 square kilometers in the Northwest of the Piedmont region, in the central sector of the Graie Alps. The territory borders Valle d’Aosta to the North, the province of Biella and the Ivrea plain to the East, the lower Canavese (which extends towards the Turin metropolitan area) to the South, the Lanzo valleys to the Southwest; to the West, a short section of the Orco valley borders France (to which there are no direct roads).
The area includes 57 municipalities with a resident population of 71,817 inhabitants (2012 ISTAT data) with a population density of approximately 64.1 people per square kilometer.
From a morphological point of view, the area is characterized by the presence of high mountain alpine landscapes of particular charm (the Orco and Soana valleys host the oldest nature park in Italy, the Gran Paradiso National Park, a former hunting reserve of the Savoy family) and mid-mountain and hill landscapes characterized by agricultural and pastoral activities that are still very lively in some areas. The 250 to 4026 meters of altitude change found within the Gran Paradiso Massif contain a varied landscape and the only entirely Italian four-thousand-meter peak.
The moraine hills are characterized by areas of intensive agriculture (Agliè, Cuceglio, Bairo and Vialfrè are in the Erbaluce wine production area), by administrative and service centers for the surrounding mountain areas (e.g. Cuorgnè) and by secondary and tertiary production centers. The LAG’s area also includes two important cultural sites: the Castello Ducale di Aglié and the Sacro monte di Belmonte in the municipality of Valperga, both UNESCO world heritage sites.
The population of the area was partly involved in the process of industrialization that was localized in particular in the larger Canavese cities (Ivrea, Rivarolo, Cuorgnè and Castellamonte) that are mostly outside of the LAG area.
The SP460 and the Tangenziale Nord are two fast connections between the LAG area and the Turin metropolitan area. At the municipality of Rivarolo Canavese SP460 continues westward to cross the Orco and Soana Valleys, while eastward it becomes SP565 (Pedemontana) and arrives at Ivrea, connecting the easternmost territories with western ones. From Ivrea, SP26 goes up to Valle d’Aosta parallel to the highway, crossing the area of the Dora Baltea Canavesana.
In addition to local roads that connect the Canavese Valley’s LAG to the Lanzo Valleys, the same arteries that go toward Turin connect to the Caselle international airport. The Ivrea and San Giorgio exits also make the area accessible from the highway network.
Il territorio del Gal si estende sulla superficie dei seguenti comuni:
| AGLIE’ |
| ALICE SUPERIORE |
| ALPETTE |
| ANDRATE |
| BAIRO |
| BALDISSERO CANAVESE |
| BORGIALLO |
| BORGOFRANCO D’IVREA |
| BROSSO |
| CANISCHIO |
| CAREMA |
| CASTELLAMONTE |
| CASTELNUOVO NIGRA |
| CERESOLE REALE |
| CHIAVERANO |
| CHIESANUOVA |
| CINTANO |
| COLLERETTO CASTELNUOVO |
| CUCEGLIO |
| CUORGNE’ |
| FORNO CANAVESE |
| FRASSINETTO |
| INGRIA |
| ISSIGLIO |
| LESSOLO |
| LEVONE |
| LOCANA |
| LUGNACCO |
| MEUGLIANO |
| MONTALTO DORA |
| NOASCA |
| NOMAGLIO |
| PECCO |
| PERTUSIO |
| PONT-CANAVESE |
| PRASCORSANO |
| PRATIGLIONE |
| QUASSOLO |
| QUINCINETTO |
| RIBORDONE |
| RIVARA |
| ROCCA CANAVESE |
| RONCO CANAVESE |
| RUEGLIO |
| SAN COLOMBANO BELMONTE |
| SETTIMO VITTONE |
| SPARONE |
| TAVAGNASCO |
| TORRE CANAVESE |
| TRAUSELLA |
| TRAVERSELLA |
| VALPERGA |
| VALPRATO SOANA |
| VIALFRE’ |
| VICO CANAVESE |
| VIDRACCO |
| VISTRORIO |
The LAG’s area is spread out across the following municipalities. Administratively, after the dissolution of the Mountain Communities that were members of the LAG (Alto Canavese, Orco and Soana Valleys and Sacra Valleys – Valchiusella – Dora Baltea Canavesana), each municipality has opted to join the LAG on an individual basis.
There are eight Mountain Unions in the LAG.
– Alto Canavese (Forno Canav, Levone, Pratiglione, Rivara, Rocca Canav)
– Dora Baltea (Quincinetto, Quassolo, Tavagnasco)
– Gran Paradiso (Locana, Alpette, Ribordone, Sparone)
– Mombarone (Settimo Vittone, Andrate, Carema, Nomaglio)
– Valchiusella (Alice Superiore, Brosso, Issiglio, Lugnacco, Pecco, Rueglio, Trausella, Vico Canav)
– Val Gallenca (Prascorsano, Canischio, Pertusio, San Colombano Belmonte, Valperga)
– Valli Orco e Soana (Pont Canav, Ceresole Reale, Frassinetto, Ingria, Noasca, Ronco Canav, Valprato Soana)
– Valle Sacra (Borgiallo, Castellamonte, Castelnuovo Nigra, Chiesanuova, Cintano, Colleretto Castelnuovo)
