Macugnaga ( Walser German : Z'Makana ) is a mountain village and a comune at 1,327 metres (4,354 ft) elevation, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola , in the north of the Piedmont region of Italy .
51-549: It is located at the base of Monte Rosa (4,638 metres (15,217 ft)), the second-tallest mountain in western Europe, along Valle Anzasca , one of the seven valleys around the mount. Sights in the town include the Chiesa Vecchia (old church) and its linden also of the 13th century, the Chiesa Nuova (new church) built in 1707, the 17th century Casa Pala . The town also houses a museum of mountaineering, while in
102-645: A new route on the south-east face of the Gnifetti peak 4,559 metres (14,957 ft), which is at the moment the most difficult route on this side of the massif and one of the most challenging in the entire group (800+ metres (2,600+ ft), VI, ED). Finally, Alagna is the starting point for reaching the Margherita hut , the highest hut in Europe, on the Gnifetti Peak top (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)). Alagna
153-469: A pure "Walser Style", still in perfect condition, built using local wood and stones (called 'Piode'). This spontaneous architecture has been totally preserved: the wooden cage around the building was in fact invented for putting the hay to dry out. The Church of Saint John the Baptist was built in 1511 and it has preserved many sculptures by Giovanni d'Enrico a famous Italian artist (1559–1644). At
204-486: A rather bold front to the glaciers on either side. The highest points of this ridge, appearing insignificant by contrast with the grand objects around, is the Stockhorn (3,532 m, 11,588 ft) and the lower Gornergrat at 3,090 m (10,138 ft). On their south sides is the lower Gorner Glacier, formed by the confluence of all the major (Gornergletscher and Grenzgletscher) and minor tributaries descending from
255-481: A striking view from the Po plain , particularly its upper reaches in western Lombardy and eastern Piedmont . It dominates the horizon , towering between other lesser Alpine peaks as a prominent, multi-pointed, razor-sharp bulge, its permanent glaciers shining under the sun. The massif is the border between Switzerland and Italy, though glacial melt has caused some alterations to the border. These changes were ratified by
306-510: A swimming pool, a tennis centre, and a football field for sport activities. The village is also known for its mine ( Miniera della Guia ). The territory is characterised by numerous rivers, some of which are Horlovono, Pedriola, Tambach, Testa / Tieschtbach, Quarazza / Kratz and Val Rossa, all of them coming from Anza / Vispu. This last one is born from the union between the Belvedere Glacier. A lot of small lakes can be found around
357-606: A wall of formidable precipices towards the east, but falls away in a gentle slope to the west. For a breadth of a few kilometres the upper snow-fields of the Weissgrat lie almost unbroken upon this slope, but as they begin to descend towards the Matter Valley they are divided into two ice streams (the upper Gorner Glacier and the Findel Glacier ) by a ridge which gradually emerges from the névé, and finally presents
408-573: Is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps , on the border between Italy ( Piedmont and Aosta Valley ) and Switzerland ( Valais ). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over 4,000 m (13,000 ft), is the Dufourspitze (4,634 m, 15,203 ft), the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after Mont Blanc . The east face of
459-605: Is a summer ski resort, with snow all year round due to the altitude. The Plateau Rosa is connected via aerial tramway to Cervinia and to Zermatt via the Klein Matterhorn . The western fringes of the massif reach the Zermatt ski domain. Gressoney , Champoluc , Alagna Valsesia and Macugnaga (under the east face, intensely glaciated and 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) high) are the main mountain and ski resorts that surround Monte Rosa along its southern side. Monte Rosa
510-461: Is followed by the five nearly equally high subsidiary summits of Dunantspitze , Grenzgipfel , Nordend , Zumsteinspitze , and Signalkuppe . Some other peaks over 4,000 m (13,000 ft), such as Piramide Vincent , Punta Giordani , and Corno Nero , are wholly in Italy. Monte Rosa is the highest mountain in both Switzerland and the Pennine Alps and is also the second-highest mountain in
561-417: Is internationally known for being the freeride capital of the Alps. The reason for this great quantity of routes is in the particular morphological shape of the main valley, steep but at the same time with several lateral smaller valleys "Comb shape" which permit huge exploitation of the territory. Plus, thanks to the difference in height from the top of the ridges (Monte Rosa is 4,634 metres (15,203 ft)) to
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#1732771750591612-609: Is not technically difficult to climb, but can be quite dangerous due to its great altitude and sudden weather changes, as well as crevasses in its extensive glaciers – one of the major glaciated areas in the Alps . Many alpinists who died climbing Monte Rosa are buried in the Old Church cemetery in Macugnaga. The Monte Rosa tour can be completed by trekkers in about 10 days. The circuit follows many ancient trails that have linked
663-594: The Alps and in Europe outside of the Caucasus . The north-west side of the central Monte Rosa massif, with its enormous ice slopes and seracs , constitutes the boundary and upper basin of the large Gorner Glacier , which descends towards Zermatt and merges with its nowadays much larger tributary, the Grenzgletscher ( lit. 'Border Glacier'), right below the Monte Rosa Hut on the lower end of
714-851: The Nordend (4,609 m, 15,121 ft; north of the Dufourspitze), the Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m, 14,970 ft; south of the Dufourspitze) and the Signalkuppe (4,554 m, 14,941 ft; Italian : Punta Gnifetti ), all of them being positioned right on the Swiss-Italian border. Other secondary summits are the Parrotspitze (4,432 m, 14,541 ft), the Ludwigshöhe (4,431 m, 14,537 ft) and
765-735: The Vincentpiramid (4,215 m, 13,829 ft). All of them originally have German names, since even the Italian valleys used to be by German-based Walsers inhabited valleys. Several perpendicular secondary ridges are connected to the central massif dividing the glaciers that descend towards the Matter Valley . The ridge called Weissgrat connecting the Nordend with the Schwarzberghorn ( Italian : Corno Nero ) presents
816-566: The Weisshorn and the Dom . The Gornergrat summit, lying 8 km (5.0 mi) on the north-west at 3,100 metres (10,200 ft), is a popular viewpoint of the massif, since it is accessible by train from Zermatt, using the highest open air railway line in Europe. The extended range of Monte Rosa, which appears to originate in the intersection of two axes of great elevation, throws out a number of ridges that radiate afar and gradually subside into
867-539: The 57 km (22 sq mi) large Gorner Glacier , descending progressively with gentle slopes and forming a large uninhabited glacial valley. The Italian east side consists of a 2,400-metre-high (7,900 ft) wall overlooking Macugnaga, whose snows feed the Belvedere Glacier at its base. The southeast face, culminating at the Signalkuppe , overlooks the piedmontese Valsesia and the Val de Gressoney in
918-595: The Alagna parish priest, reached, after three attempts, the fourth tallest peak of Monte Rosa and the highest in the Alagna Valley, the today called Gnifetti Peak (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)). The mountaineering tradition is still alive: Silvio Mondinelli , the second Italian climber to reach all the 14 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) peaks of the world, has done several climbs on the Alagna side of Monte Rosa . In September 2011, Hervè Barmasse and his father opened
969-589: The Alps); It is very close to Milan (130 kilometres (81 mi)) and to the international Milan–Malpensa Airport (106 kilometres (66 mi)). Since December 2005 a cable car connects Alagna with Gressoney ( AO ) through the Passo dei Salati . Founded in the 13th century by a German population (" Walser ") descending from the north into the Italian valleys around Monte Rosa , it has preserved today its atmosphere with several buildings built around 1500–1600 in
1020-763: The Dorf, there is also a traditional stone bakery oven which was used by the Walser people once a year to bake bread. It was an important moment for the community to ensure food supplies in the following months. This article on a location in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Monte Rosa Monte Rosa ( Italian: [ˈmonte ˈrɔːza] ; Lombard : Mont Roeusa [ˌmũː(t) ˈrøːza] ; French : Mont Rose [mɔ̃ ʁoz] ; Walser : de Gletscher or de Gorner ; German : Monte Rosa )
1071-497: The Italian name Monte Rosa is used instead ( Monte Rosa-Gletscher , Monte Rosa-Hütte , etc.). Monte Rosa cover areas on both sides of the border between the Swiss canton of Valais and the Italian regions of Piedmont and Aosta Valley . The main summit of Monte Rosa is the Dufourspitze . On the Swiss side the town centre of Zermatt is about 13 km (8.1 mi) north-west and 3,000 m (9,800 ft) below it. On
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#17327717505911122-620: The Italian side of the massif are located 9 km (5.6 mi) north-east Macugnaga in the Valle Anzasca ,11 km (6.8 mi) south-east-south Alagna Valsesia in the Valsesia and 13 km (8.1 mi) Gressoney-La-Trinité in the Val de Gressoney, respectively, away from the summit. The different sides of the mountain greatly differ from each other. The Swiss west side is almost completely covered by large glaciers, tributaries of
1173-484: The Monte Rosa massif: Alagna Valsesia Alagna Valsesia ( Walser German : Im Land , Piedmontese : Alagna , Valsesiano: Lagna ) is a comune and small village high in the Valsesia alpine valley in the province of Vercelli , Piedmont , northern Italy , a UNESCO World heritage site since 2013. It is a tourist place for mountaineering and winter sports , and it is internationally renowned for
1224-564: The Monte Rosa towards Italy has a height of about 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) and is the highest mountain wall of the Alps. The group is on the watershed between the Rhône and Po basins and has a topographic prominence of 2,165 metres (7,103 ft) which is ranked fifth in the Alps. The Monte Rosa massif has four faces. Three are in Italy: the Liskamm heading above the Val de Gressoney;
1275-542: The Sub-Penninic nappes. Rocks in the paragneiss of the Monte Rosa Nappe record eclogite -facies metamorphism. The deformation of the Monte Rosa granites indicates a depth of subduction of about 60 km (40 mi). They were brought to the surface by tectonic uplift , which still continues today. The summit is a sharp, jagged edge of mica schist connected by an arête with the Nordend, but cut off from
1326-592: The Swiss and Italian valleys for centuries. The circuit includes larch forests, alpine meadows, balcony trails and a glacial crossing. It connects seven valleys embracing different cultures: the German-speaking high Valais, the Walser German and Arpitan /French-speaking Aosta Valley , and the valleys of Lombardy and Piedmont . Usually these peaks are considered to be part of the Monte Rosa massif: Usually these glaciers are considered to be part of
1377-699: The Valsesian face above Alagna Valsesia at the upper part of the Valle della Sesia ; and the steep, big east wall above Macugnaga in the Valle Anzasca . The Swiss north-western face has several glaciers (with one of the largest Alpine glaciers) flowing towards the Mattertal with Zermatt . Its main summit, named Dufourspitze in honor of the surveyor Guillaume-Henri Dufour and wholly located in Switzerland , culminates at 4,634 m (15,203 ft) and
1428-669: The Vincent Pyramide, and thence through the range that bounds the Valle di Gressoney, nearly to Ivrea, with the transverse range lying between the Dent d'Herens and the Pizzo Bianco near Macugnaga . The minor ridges on the north side of the border are parallel to this latter range, with their corresponding depressions occupied by the glaciers of Gorner and Findelen . On clear days the mountainous massif of Monte Rosa provides
1479-534: The Zumsteinspitze to the south by nearly vertical rocks about 120 m (390 ft) in height. Being the highest point in Switzerland, Monte Rosa is also one of the most extreme places. The average air pressure is about half of that of the sea level (56%) and the temperature can reach as low as −40 °C (−40 °F). Owing to the frequent prevalence of a high wind from the east or north-east, and
1530-649: The alternatives routes starting from Passo dei Salati (2,979 metres (9,774 ft)): Canale a Y, Canale Rettilineo, Canale Obliquo, Canale Longhez, all around the 45°. There are other itineraries in the Otro Valley (Passo Zube S3+, Passo della Coppa S3+, Canale Jschechette S4+), close to Corno Bianco (3,320 metres (10,890 ft)). By Eliski itineraries include Il Cavallo (starting point around 3,600 metres (11,800 ft)), Rizzetti and Il Turlo. Extreme rides are Perazzi Couloir along Punta Parrot (4,436 metres (14,554 ft), 55°) and Sesia Couloir (60° and 65° close to
1581-489: The autonomous region of Aosta Valley. The mountain is mainly covered by eternal snows and glaciers, except for its summit which is a rocky ridge orientated west–east, near to and perpendicular to the main watershed between Switzerland and Italy (the river basins of the Rhône and the Po on the Swiss and Italian side, respectively). The connecting point between them is the Grenzgipfel (English: Border Summit ) right on
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1632-440: The border, and therefore also the highest peak on the Italian side. Thus Monte Rosa is the highest mountain in the Alps whose summit is not on the main alpine watershed , although it is off by only 150 metres (490 ft). The Silbersattel (English: Silver Saddle ) and Grenzsattel (English: Border Saddle ) are the passes located north and south to the summit. The three main secondary summits of Monte Rosa are (from north to south):
1683-600: The bottom of the valley (Alagna itself is only at 1,191 metres (3,907 ft)), most routes cover a huge slope. The landscape is wild, severe and very impressive. The majority of the itineraries are around the Punta Giordani 4,046 metres (13,274 ft) and the wild area of the Malfatta 2,914 metres (9,560 ft). Rides include that of Balma, which crosses the entire Bors Valley from Indren (3,260 metres (10,700 ft)) to Pastore Hut 1,575 metres (5,167 ft), and
1734-443: The cold weather. They were equipped with a stove together with an oven, there was also a kitchen, two bedrooms and a cellar. In the most recent structures, the kitchen was built in brickwork to prevent the risk of fires. Other buildings, apart from the houses, can include farmhouses with a stable and a barn. In
1785-530: The depressions offers a marked contrast to that prevailing throughout the adjoining regions of the Alps. Unless in a small part of the Italian valleys, the direction here is either parallel or perpendicular to the meridian. Monte Rosa itself lies near the intersection of a great north and south ridge, extending from the Balfrin through the Mischabelhörner , and the highest peaks of the mountain itself, to
1836-508: The entrance of the town, there is the native house of Tanzio da Varallo (1575–1633), brother of Giovanni d'Enrico and one of the most famous Italian artists. His works are in the most prestigious art gallery in the world. Alagna is one of the Alpine towns which have played a crucial role in the history of mountaineering. The Guides Association was founded in 1872 and it is the oldest in Italy second only to that of Courmayeur (1868). From
1887-603: The freeride off-piste skiing . It is also the traditional starting point for the Margherita Hut climb, at 4,554 metres (14,941 ft) above sea level, the highest building in Europe . It was originally settled by Walser at the beginning of the 12th century. It is located at an elevation of 1,191 metres (3,907 ft) just south of the Monte Rosa , elevation 4,638 metres (15,217 ft) (the second tallest peak in
1938-551: The hamlet of Borca is the Walser Museum, devoted to the local German population who colonised the valley during the Middle Ages coming from the Swiss canton Wallis . The area gives many opportunities for skiing in winter (a cableway brings from the central square of the town to the 3000 m (9800 ft) of the Passo del Monte Moro on the border with Switzerland), and hiking and mountaineering in summer. There are
1989-606: The highest peaks in the Alps. Although Italian rosa and French rose both mean 'pink' or 'rose', the name is unrelated to these words and is instead derived from the Franco-Provençal Valdôtain patois word rouése 'glacier'. On old maps as late as 1740, the mountain was named Monte Bosa and even Monte Biosa by the inhabitants of Val Sesia. The name Mon Boso , which appears in Leonardo da Vinci 's notebooks, very likely designated
2040-630: The mountains by Arona , along Lake Maggiore , and up the valley of the Toce , to Vogogna , then ascending by the Val Anzasca to the Monte Moro Pass, the circuit is completed by the descent through the Saastal to Stalden . Within the line so traced, exceeding 450 km (280 mi) in length, all the ranges properly belonging to this group are included. The direction of the ranges and
2091-582: The north, west and south sides of the central Monte Rosa massif, while on the north side the Findel Glacier descends near to the hamlet of Findeln . Monte Rosa is one of the high mountains surrounding the 40-kilometre-long (25 mi) Matter Valley south of Stalden . On the southwest to west are Liskamm , Zwillinge with Castor and Pollux, the Breithorn and the Matterhorn ; on the north are
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2142-583: The plain of northern Italy, covering a relatively large area. There is no convenient mode of subdividing the range. However, the natural limits of the district can be defined on the north side by the two branches of the Visp torrent. Following the west branch through the Mattertal , crossing the Theodul Pass , descending by the Valtournanche to Châtillon and to Ivrea , and passing around the base of
2193-556: The ridge) between Punta Gnifetti (4,559 metres (14,957 ft)) and Punta Parrot . Alagna Valsesia is part of the huge Monterosa Ski area, a ski-resort at the feet of Monte Rosa which connects three different valleys in Piedmont and in Aosta Valley , with 180 km of runs. Through Passo dei Salati at an elevation of 2,980 metres (9,780 ft), Alagna is connected with Gressoney-La-Trinité and Champoluc . Since 2017,
2244-555: The same mountain. From Zermatt the mountain was formerly known under the name Gornerhorn ( lit. 'large/strong horn') in Walliser German , later shortened to de Gorner . In standard German, the name Gorner is still used for the western ridge protruding from the main mass ( Gornergrat ) and the glacier that lies at its foot ( Gornergletscher ) but not used for the mountain itself anymore. Nowadays, in German,
2295-422: The slow pace at which it is possible to move when near the top, precautions against cold are particularly necessary when climbing Monte Rosa. The snow line is located at about 3,000 m (9,800 ft). The Monte Rosa massif is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. It hosts several ski resorts with long pistes . Plateau Rosa , about 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) high above sea level,
2346-407: The town started all the first expeditions on the close Monte Rosa ; the first one was on 23 July 1801 when Pietro Giordani, a native of Alagna, reached the summit of the peak which now is called by his name (Giordani peak, 4,046 metres (13,274 ft)). In 1819 Zumstein reached the third-highest Monte Rosa peak (Zumstein peak, 4,563 metres (14,970 ft)). Finally between August the 8th and the 9th,
2397-591: The two countries in 2009 and will continue to be subject to change as melting continues. The entire massif consists mainly of granite and granite gneiss (a metamorphic rock with foliations). The Monte Rosa Nappe lies below the Zermatt-Saas zone and is part of the Penninic nappes in the Briançonnais microcontinent zone, although its paleographic origin is controversial and is sometimes assigned to
2448-401: The village, as well as a dam, known as Lago delle Fate (lake of the fairies). The Dorf is an area of the village of Macugnaga, located near the Old Church and its cemetery, where the ancient huts made of larch trunks, in which the Walser community used to live, are located. The houses followed the style of the Nordic populations: they were made of larch wood to protect its inhabitants from
2499-421: The visible western wing. The Grenzgletscher is an impressive glacier formation between the western wing of the mountain and Liskamm , a ridge on its southwestern side on the Swiss-Italian border. On the eastern side, in Italy, the mountain falls away in an almost vertical 2,400-metre-high (7,900 ft) wall of granite and ice, the biggest in Europe, overlooking Macugnaga and several smaller glaciers. Monte Rosa
2550-420: Was first climbed in 1872, from Macugnaga. Each summer many climbers set out from the Monte Rosa Hut on the mountain's west wing for one of its summits via the normal route or for the Margherita Hut on the Signalkuppe ( Italian : Punta Gnifetti ), used as a research station. Many tourists and hikers also come to the Gornergrat on the northwest side of the massif to see a panorama that extends over some of
2601-451: Was studied by pioneering geologists and explorers, including Leonardo da Vinci in the late fifteenth century and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the late eighteenth century. Following a long series of attempts beginning in the early nineteenth century, Monte Rosa's summit, then still called Höchste Spitze ( lit. 'highest peak'), was first reached in 1855 from Zermatt by a party of eight climbers led by three guides. The great east wall
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