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Italian Regions Region Piemonte Province Torino Comune Claviere

Claviere

Province of Torino, Piemonte (Piedmont-Piemont) Region, Italy

The town, situated in the Alta Valle Susa 97 km far from Turin, is a popular tourist and ski center, included in the Via Lattea ski circuit with many famous tracks, also connected to the district of Cesana Torinese, and offers as well many interesting natural itineraries among the mountains surrounding the valley, especially in the summer time.

HISTORY: The area is known as the passage of Hannibal with elephants, through the Moncenisio pass, that links Alta Val di Susa with the Durance valley, at the time of the second Punic War. Also Giulio Cesar passed here in 58 BC, coveruing the distance Geneve-Rome in 8 days. Later on he decided to construct a road for the transit of the legions: the "via Cottia per Alpem" that started from Turin, passed through Susa (Segusium), Oulx (Martis Villa), Cesana (Gadaone or Gaesao) and arrived in Claviere (Las Clavieras).
This road remained just a track throughout the Middle Ages as long as the 19th century. When the skiing sport started to grow in popularity in the early 20th century, one of the first ski-resorts in the Piedmont region was built here, between Italy and France, on the beautiful Colle del Monginevro. Unfortunately both the elegant hotels of the late 19th century and the ancient houses of the local valley peoplewere destroyed during the Second World War, and the village was completely rebuilt.
INFO: Altitude:1760 m a.s.l -- Population: about 160 inhabitants
Zip code: 10050 -- Phone Area Code: 0122
Patron Saint: Madonna della Visitazione celebrated on 2nd July

EVENTS:
For the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games, Claviere was the Official Olympic training site for Downhill and Cross-country skiing disciplines.