VAL D’AOSTAITALIA

VAL D’AOSTA• MAP OF VAL D’AOSTA• SHORT INFO ABOUT THE REGION• CAPITAL CITY: AOSTA• OTHER CITY/CITIES IN THE REGION • IMPORTANT CELEBRATIONS• SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE• RECIPES/LOCAL CUISINES

Photo from: http://azbtravel.ru/?page_id=260

Photo from: http://wikitravel.org/e

n/Aosta_Valley

MAP OF VAL D’AOSTA

FLAG OF VAL D’AOSTA

COAT OF ARMS (VAL D’AOSTA)

VAL D’AOSTA

• LOCATED IN THE NORTHWESTERN REGION OF ITALY

• MOUNTAINOUS, SEMI-AUTONOMOUS REGION

• BORDERED BY FRANCE, SWITZERLAND AND PIEMONTE REGION

• HIGHEST PEAKS IN THE ALPS– MONT BLANC (15, 781 FEET)• HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN EUROPE

http://vinisydney.blogspot.com/2009/11/last-nights-regional-dinner-val-daosta.html

VAL D’AOSTA

• SMALLEST REGION IN ITALY• ALPINE VALLEY• FIRST INHABITANTS:– CELTS– LIGURES

• ITALIAN AND FRENCH: OFFICIAL LANGUAGES• CONQUERED BY ROME IN 25 B.C.• SPECIAL AUTONOMOUS STATUS: 1948 (AFTER

WWII)

http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/aosta-valley.html#box_4

AOSTA• REGIONAL CAPITAL OF VAL D’AOSTA• THE ONLY PROVINCE IN THE REGION• LYING BETWEEN TWO RIVERS AND

SURROUNDED BY MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS• ONE OF ITS FOUNDER: THE EMPEROR

AUGUSTUS• HAS MANY ROMAN MONUMENTS:– ARCH OF AUGUSTUS, PORTA PRETORIA, the

theatre, the forum and the city walls

AOSTA• CATHEDRAL– DATES BACK TO

PRIOR TO THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY AND HAS BEEN REWORKED SOME TIME LATER

http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/aosta-valley/poi/aosta.html

COURMAYEUR

COURMAYEUR• A TOWN IN THE AOSTA VALLEY REGION• LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF MONT BLANC• SKI RESORT• MONT BLANC TUNNEL• HIGHEST COMMUNE IN ITALY• Noir In Festival– celebrated the social and cinema rituals of

this literary genre

IMPORTANT CELEBRATIONS

• BATAILLES DE REINES (BATTLES OF QUEENS)– TAKES PLACE ON A SUNDAY IN OCTOBER– GRAND FINAL STAGE OF THE BATTLES AMONG

COWS FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNES– CROIX-NOIRE ARENA IN AOSTA– AVERAGE OF 150 COWS TAKE PART STARTING

FROM THE ELIMINATIONS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PLACES/AREAS

BATAILLES DE REINES (BATTLES OF QUEENS)

SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE• ST. ANSELM OF

CANTERBURY– BORN IN AOSTA IN 1033– BENEDICTINE MONK– BECAME AN ARCHBISHOP

OF CANTERBURY (ENGLAND)

SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE• ST. URSUS OF AOSTA– ITALIAN SAINT OF THE 6TH

CENTURY– FEAST DAY: FEBRUARY 1– COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF ST.

URSUS (AOSTA)

LOCAL CUISINES

LOCAL CUISINES• FONTINA VAL D’AOSTA– GENUINE FONTINA– MADE OF COW’S MILK– DENSE, SMOOTH AND SLIGHTLY ELASTIC– DELICATE NUTTINESS WITH A HINT OF MILD

HONEY– SEMI-SOFT– RIPENS IN 3 MONTHS– FAT CONTENT: 45%

LOCAL CUISINESMOCETTAMocetta is one of Valle D'Aosta's traditional cured meats, and in the past the animal used was mountain goat. Now most of the goats are in national parks, and though some are still raised for the purpose, people also use beef. It is in any case a preparation that should only be undertaken after temperatures have dropped in the fall, and will require a cool dry place for both the salting and the aging. (http://italianfood.about.com/od/curedmeats/r/blr0883.htm)

LOCAL CUISINESMOCETTAIngredients:

• 11 pounds (5 k) lean mountain goat or sheep, or beef, cut into 2 1/4-pound pieces.

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced• A bunch of parsley, minced• The leaves from a sprig of rosemary• A few bay leaves• 1/2 pound (200 g) coarse sea salt (Kosher will work well here)• A sprig of thyme, a few juniper berries, and some pepper corns,

crushed

LOCAL CUISINESMOCETTAPreparation:• Combine the herbs, garlic and salt in a bowl. Take a large terracotta or

wooden vessel and line the bottom with a little of the salt mixture, then arrange the meat on it in layers, salting between the layers. Cover it all with a wooden board and put a weight on it that's sufficient to keep the meat well pressed down. Leave the meat in a cool place 8-10 days, draining off the liquid that the meat gives off.

• Once the meat is salted, hang it up to dry in a cool, dark, well ventilated place. It will be ready in about a month, but will keep well for a or more. The traditional way to serve it is thinly sliced, like Bresaola, and served as is, with no dressings. Just boiled potatoes or buttered bread, either of which will nicely complement the flavor of the meat.

REFERENCES• http://

italianfood.about.com/od/curedmeats/r/blr0883.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Ursus_of_Aosta• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anselm_of_Aosta• http://www.italia.it/en/focus.html?tx_ptispecials_pi

1[showUid]%20=%20618

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aosta_Valley• http://cheese.com/fontina-val-daosta/

REFERENCES• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courmayeur• http://

www.gustoraro.com/2010/12/motzetta-traditional-italian-meat.html

• www.translate.google.com• http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/aosta-valley/poi/aosta.

html• http://www.lovevda.it/turismo/proposte/manifestazioni/cine

ma_teatro/festival_noir_e.asp• http://

www.lovevda.it/turismo/proposte/manifestazioni/tradizione_folklore/batailles_de_reines_e.asp?ricid=177