A beautiful paradise
Cogne is a mountain locality with a population of about 1,500 in the Alps in the north west part of Italy and a popular tourist destination. It is an old community that has a long history.
Cogne lies on the edge of the Gran Paradiso National Park, which was the first national park in Italy. It was founded in 1922 by King Vittorio Emanuelle II in an effort to preserve the country's ibex population that had been driven to the brink of extinction by hunting. Today the park covers 720 square kilometres and contains many thousands of ibex and chamois, which can be seen in Cogne in winter and spring. November and December brings the mating season when wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy the spectacular sight of the males fighting and clashing horns. There are many other animals to be seen in the area, including ermines, marmots and squirrels, and many rare birds soar over the mountains, such as golden eagles, peregrines and rock ptarmigans.
Inside the Gran Paridiso National Park and close to Cogne lies a beautiful botanical garden, the Giardiano Alpino Paradisia. The gardens were first created in 1995 and were named after a local flower, the Paradisia liliastrum mountain lily. There are trails leading visitors through extensive gardens containing over 1,000 species of alpine plants and flowers. These include local flora, such as milk vetch, saxifrage, campanula and orchids as well as displays of mountain plants from America, Asia and Europe. There is also a butterfly garden, a lichens area and a petrographic display of rock samples from the Cogne Valley.
The town has a famous bridge built by the Romans and it is also probable that Hannibal passed through here with his army on the way to Rome during the Second Punic War.
Inside the Gran Paridiso National Park and close to Cogne lies a beautiful botanical garden, the Giardiano Alpino Paradisia. The gardens were first created in 1995 and were named after a local flower, the Paradisia liliastrum mountain lily. There are trails leading visitors through extensive gardens containing over 1,000 species of alpine plants and flowers. These include local flora, such as milk vetch, saxifrage, campanula and orchids as well as displays of mountain plants from America, Asia and Europe. There is also a butterfly garden, a lichens area and a petrographic display of rock samples from the Cogne Valley.
The town has a famous bridge built by the Romans and it is also probable that Hannibal passed through here with his army on the way to Rome during the Second Punic War.
During the summer the locality is a beautiful high-mountain series of valleys and meadows wedged between the soaring peaks of the Alps, with wild flowers and pine forests for miles in every direction.
Throughout the summer, at various times during each week, there are concerts and public shows available in town including live concerts, festivals, evening events and even a tournament. The events change every year, but the venues are roughly in the same place.
In October there is the Devétéya é féra de Cogne, this is a historic festival roughly translates as 'Parade of the Beasts' and is a traditional celebration that takes place every year on the first weekend of October. The purpose of the event is to greet the herds of cows that have returned from their summer pastures above the town to spend the winter in the valley. The cows are decorated with flowers and paraded through the village on the Saturday of the weekend, while on Sunday the animals are gathered in the square to be blessed. The festival includes a market, selling local produce and crafts, and many of the local restaurants serve a special, traditional lunch called Les Saveurs l'Alpage.
In the winter the landscape is transformed into an alpine wonderland with snowy plains in all directions, challenging cross country trails that go through forests and across ridges, as well as ice falls for professional and skilled climbers.
In October there is the Devétéya é féra de Cogne, this is a historic festival roughly translates as 'Parade of the Beasts' and is a traditional celebration that takes place every year on the first weekend of October. The purpose of the event is to greet the herds of cows that have returned from their summer pastures above the town to spend the winter in the valley. The cows are decorated with flowers and paraded through the village on the Saturday of the weekend, while on Sunday the animals are gathered in the square to be blessed. The festival includes a market, selling local produce and crafts, and many of the local restaurants serve a special, traditional lunch called Les Saveurs l'Alpage.
In the winter the landscape is transformed into an alpine wonderland with snowy plains in all directions, challenging cross country trails that go through forests and across ridges, as well as ice falls for professional and skilled climbers.
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