Province of Sondrio

About Province of Sondrio

Coordinates: 46 ° 21′37 ″ N 9 ° 56′38 ″ E / 46.3601976 ° N 9.9440002 ° E / 46.3601976; 9.9440002

The Province of Sondrio (Italian: Sondrio province) is located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403.

History

The Province was founded in 1815, within the Kingdom of Lombardy-Veneto, joining the valleys of Valtellina, Valchiavenna and Bormio.

Before the Roman conquest, the territory was inhabited by Celts (Lepontii) and Rhaetians (Camunni). The Romans included this area in their province of Gallia Cisalpina.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was installed by the Germanic tribe of the Lombards and was ruled for the first time by the feudal lords of the local area. It fell under the dominion of the Duchy of Milan because of the Visconti House and the Sforza House. Sondrio and Valtellina were strategically important in European politics, especially in the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, due to their connections with Europe through the Spluga Pass and the Sondrio valleys. Following the collapse of the Duchy of Milan, the Swiss canton of Grisons exercised dominion over Sondrio. Valtellina was invaded in 1622 by the Spanish governor of Milan since the valleys had been used to transport troops to Europe; the Spanish efforts were assisted by a revolt of 1620 in Valtellina against the Swiss.

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ensured peace in the region and granted it to the Canton of Grisons. In 1797 the Republic of Valtellina was formed but was quickly conquered by the French to become a component of the client state of the Cisalpine Republic. The Congress of Vienna (1815) Sondrio and Valtellina as a province of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy-Veneto.

Lombardy - Venetia was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

Geography

The Province of Sondrio is a predominantly mountainous area, sparsely populated in northern Lombardy. It borders with the Swiss canton of Grisons to the north, the provinces of Como and Lecco to the west, the province of Bergamo to the south and the provinces of Brescia, Trento and Bolzano to the east. The Rhaetian Alps are the highest mountains in Lombardy. The valleys run mainly from north to south, the main ones being Valtellina and Valchiavenna. One of the main cities is Livigno (1,800 m above sea level), which is a tourist center in summer and a ski resort in winter. There are 78 municipalities in the province and Sondrio is the largest city and the administrative center. The Stelvio National Park is located in the north-eastern part of the province.

The economy is based on construction, deforestation, extraction, tourism and light industry. Swiss workers go to work in Sondrio and other workers cross the border from Italy to join the Swiss workforce. Throughout the province, grapes have traditionally been grown, each district has its own local variety and produces its own local wine. It was necessary for farmers to design terraces on steep slopes, build dry stone retaining walls and move the land to make the most of the land unsuitable for general agricultural purposes. The traditions of viticulture are rooted in the culture of the countryside.

See also

Basin of San Giacomo

Source: Wikipedia
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincia_di_Sondrio