# Occitan Valleys

The Occitan Valleys are the part of Occitania (the territory of the Occitan language) within the borders of Italy. It is a mountainous region in the southern Alps. Most of its valleys are oriented eastward and descend toward the plains of Piedmont.
The area has a population of 174,476 inhabitants (July, 2013). Its major towns are Lo Borg Sant Dalmatz (Borgo San Dalmazzo), Buscha (Busca), Boves (Bueves) and Draonier (Dronero).
The Occitan linguistic enclave of La Gàrdia (Guardia Piemontese) in Calabria does not belong to the Occitan Valleys.
A 1999 Italian law ("Law 482") provides for the protection of linguistic minorities, including Occitan.

## Communities with clear Occitan presence before the 482/99 Act

These are the villages where an autochthonous Provençal-speaking community has surely settled and may still speak the language. Around 35% of the population (stats by Enrico Allasino, IRES 2005 and IRES Piemonte no.113/2007) declared to be able to speak or understand the local Provençal language, with various levels of proficiency. Italian and Piedmontese are spoken by the majority of the people in the area, and the patois is much influenced by both the other two languages.
| Val d'Ors | Upper Susa Valley |
| Bardonescha | Bardonecchia |
| Cesana | Cesana Torinese |
| Chaumont | Chiomonte |
| Las Clavieras | Claviere |
| Exilhas | Exilles |
| Ols or Ors | Oulx |
| Salbertrand | Salbertrand |
| Lo Grand Sauze | Sauze di Cesana |
| Lo Sauze (d'Ors) | Sauze d'Oulx |
| La Sestriera | Sestriere |
| Val Cluson | Alta Val Chisone |
| Finoistrèlas | Fenestrelle |
| Praamòl | Pramollo |
| Prajalats | Pragelato |
| Lo Rore | Roure |
| Usseaus | Usseaux |
| Val Sant Martin Val Sopata | Val Germanasca |
| Pomaret | Pomaretto |
| Massèl | Massello |
| Lo Perier | Perrero |
| Praal | Prali |
| Salsa | Salza di Pinerolo |
| Val Pèlis | Val Pellice |
| Angrònha | Angrogna |
| Buèbi | Bobbio Pellice |
| La Tor | Torre Pellice |
| Lo Vialar | Villar Pellice |
| Val Pò | Alta Valle Po |
| Ostana | Ostana |
| Val Varacha | Val Varaita |
| Blins | Bellino |
| Chastèldalfin | Casteldelfino |
| Fraisse | Frassino |
| Lo Mèl | Melle |
| Pont e la Chanal | Pontechianale |
| Sant Pèire | Sampeyre |
| Valmala | Valmala |
| Venascha | Venasca |
| Val Maira | Val Maira |
| Acelh | Acceglio |
| Cartinhan | Cartignano |
| Chanuelhas | Canosio |
| Cèlas | Celle di Macra |
| Elva | Elva |
| L'Arma | Macra |
| La Màrmol | Marmora |
| Prats | Prazzo |
| San Dumian | San Damiano Macra |
| Estròp | Stroppo |
| Val Grana | Valle Grana |
| Chastèlmanh | Castelmagno |
| Montrós | Monterosso Grana |
| Pradievi | Pradleves |
| Val d'Estura | Valle Stura |
| Aison | Aisone |
| L'Argentiera | Argentera |
| Demont | Demonte |
| Pèirapuerc | Pietraporzio |
| La Ròca | Roccasparvera |
| Sambuc | Sambuco |
| Vinai | Vinadio |
| Val Ges | Valle Gesso |
| Entraigas | Entracque |
| Roascha | Roaschia |
| Vaudier | Valdieri |
| Val Vermenanha | Val Vermenagna |
| Limon | Limone Piemonte |
| Robilant | Robilante |
| Lou Vernant | Vernante |

## Communities whose patois community is extinct

The Waldensians, also known as Waldenses (/wɔːlˈdɛnsiːz, wɒl-/), Vallenses, Valdesi, or Vaudois, are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the Poor of Lyon in the late twelfth century, the movement spread to the Cottian Alps in what is today France and Italy. The founding of the Waldensians is attributed to Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant who gave away his property around 1173, preaching apostolic poverty as the way to perfection.
Waldensian teachings came into conflict with the Catholic Church and by 1215 the Waldensians were declared heretical, not because they preached apostolic poverty, which the Franciscans also preached, but because they were not willing to recognize the prerogatives of local bishops over the content of their preaching, nor to recognize standards about who was fit to preach. Pope Innocent III offered the Waldensians the chance to return to the Church, and many did, taking the name "Poor Catholics". However, many did not, and were subjected to intense persecution and were confronted with organised and general discrimination in the following centuries. In the sixteenth century, the Waldensians were absorbed into the Protestant movement, under the influence of early Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger.
In some aspects the Waldensians of the Middle Ages could be seen as proto-Protestants, but they mostly did not raise the doctrinal objections characteristic of sixteenth-century Protestant leaders. They came to align themselves with Protestantism: with the Resolutions of Chanforan [fr] on 12 September 1532, they formally became a part of the Calvinist tradition. They are members of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe and its affiliates worldwide. They were nearly annihilated in the seventeenth century.
The main denomination within the movement was the Waldensian Evangelical Church, the original church in Italy. In 1975, it merged with the Methodist Evangelical Church to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches—a majority Waldensian church, with a minority of Methodists. Another large congregation is the Evangelical Waldensian Church of Río de la Plata in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Congregations continue to be active in Europe (particularly in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy), South America, and North America. Organizations, such as the American Waldensian Society, maintain the history of the movement and declare their mission as "proclaiming the Christian Gospel, serving the marginalized, promoting social justice, fostering inter-religious work, and advocating respect for religious diversity and freedom of conscience."

## Historical sources

Most modern knowledge of the medieval history of the Waldensians originates almost exclusively from the records and writings of the Roman Catholic Church, the same body that was condemning them as heretics.$^{:66}$ Because of "the documentary scarcity and unconnectedness from which we must draw the description of Waldensian beliefs",$^{:87}$ much of what is known about the early Waldensians comes from reports like the Profession of faith of Valdo of Lyon (1180); Liber antiheresis by Durando d'Osca (c. 1187–1200); and the Rescriptum of Bergamo Conference (1218).
Earlier documents that provide information about early Waldensian history include the Will of Stefano d'Anse (1187); the Manifestatio haeresis Albigensium et Lugdunensium (c. 1206–1208); and the Anonymous chronicle of Lyon (c. 1220). There are also the two reports written for the Inquisition by Reinerius Saccho (died 1259), a former Cathar who converted to Catholicism, published together in 1254 as Summa de Catharis et Pauperibus de Lugduno (On the Cathars and the Poor of Lyon).

## Teachings

The Waldensians were associated by councils and papal decrees with the Cathars; however they differed radically from them: the Waldensians never espoused gnostic or dualist views or mysticism, and they did not reject the sacraments in total. The Waldensians initially saw themselves as a "church within the Church".
The Waldensians taught certain doctrines also held by the Catholic Church: they accepted the Trinity, and the earliest Waldensians staunchly defended the Eucharist. However, at least some of them later began to develop a more symbolic view of the bread and wine.
The earliest Waldensians taught the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and affirmed the necessity of priests for the offering of the Mass. However they denied the right of sinful priests to give the Eucharist.
Early forms of the Waldensian Mass sought to recover the early Christian liturgy and contained a sevenfold repetition of the Lord's Prayer, with the Eucharistic elements being consecrated through the sign of the cross. The Waldensians observed the forty-day fast of Lent and practiced Friday abstinence.
Both Waldensian and Catholic sources, however, imply that the Waldensians rejected infant baptism, at least to some extent. This is seen from The Noble Lesson, which refers to Christ specifically calling to baptize those who believed, and Reinerius Saccho mentioning how the Waldensians believed that the "ablution which is given to infants profits nothing". Thus there seems to have been an understanding among the Waldensians that infants could be saved without baptism. They rejected confession to priests, the practice of venerating the saints, the use of oaths, secular courts and prayers for the dead.
Waldensians held and preached a number of doctrines as they read from the Bible. These included:
* The atoning death and justifying righteousness of Christ;
* The Godhead;
* The fall of man;
* The incarnation of the Son;
* A denial of purgatory;
* The value of voluntary poverty;
* Perhaps, the universal priesthood of believers, as according to de Bourbon they claimed that all good men are priests.
They also rejected a number of concepts that were widely held in Christian Europe of the era. For example, the Waldensians held that temporal offices and dignities were not meant for preachers of the Gospel; that relics were no different from any other bones and should not be regarded as special or holy; that pilgrimage served only to spend one's money; that meat might be eaten any day if one's appetite served one; that holy water was no more efficacious than rain water; and that prayer was just as effectual if offered in a church or a barn. They were accused, moreover, of speaking blasphemously of the Catholic Church as the harlot of the Apocalypse. They rejected what they perceived as the idolatry of the Catholic Church and considered the papacy as the Antichrist of Rome.
La nobla leyczon (The Noble Lesson), written in the Occitan language, gives a sample of the medieval Waldensian belief. Once it was believed that this poem dated between 1190 and 1240, but there is evidence that it was written in the first part of the fifteenth century. The poem exists in four manuscripts: two are housed at the University of Cambridge, one at Trinity College in Dublin, and another in Geneva.
Reinerius Saccho gave the following charges against the Waldensians:
* The Pope is the head of all errors
* The Monks are Pharisees
* Christians should obey God instead of the Prelates
* That no one is above one another in the church
* No one should kneel before a priest
* Tithes should not be given
* Bishops should not have royal rights
* They condemn the Catholic sacraments
* The Church has erred by prohibiting the marriage of the clergy
The Waldensians would, later in their history, adopt a number of doctrines from the Reformed churches due to the French Reformer Guillaume Farel, who introduced Reformation theology to Waldensian leaders. They officially adopted Reformed theology at a conference at Cianforan 1532. As a result of the conference, the Waldensians officially modified some of their previous positions such as their rejection of secular courts.

## History
### Origins

According to legend, Peter Waldo renounced his wealth as an encumbrance to preaching, which led other members of the Catholic clergy to follow his example. Because of this shunning of wealth, the movement was early known as The Poor of Lyon and The Poor of Lombardy.
Although they rose to prominence in the twelfth century, some evidence suggests that the Waldenses may have existed even before the time of Peter Waldo, perhaps as early as 1100. In 1179, at the Third Council of the Lateran, Pope Alexander III lamented that the Waldenses were a "pest of long existence".<ref>{{Cite book |last=L In these communities, apart from Italian, the most widely spoken language is Piedmontese. In the past, in the lower Val Chisone, Waldensian communities were the major part of the population. Chisone, Pellice and Germanasca Valleys were referred as "Waldensian Valleys" and the local Provençal speech was called "Waldesian language", and it was opposed to the language of the Catholic population which was Piedmontese. The Lower Chisone Valley in the 20th century had a rapid industrial growth, and since then the Waldensian was replaced by Piedmontese in the most bustled villages. In Oncino and Crissolo the local patois disappeared after a dramatic depopulation.
| Val Cluson | Val Chisone |
| L'Envèrs de Pinascha | Inverso Pinasca |
| Peirosa | Perosa Argentina |
| Pinascha | Pinasca |
| Prustin | Prarostino |
| San Geman | San Germano Chisone |
| Lis Vialars | Villar Perosa |
| Val Po | Valle Po |
| Criçòl | Crissolo |
| Oncin | Oncino |

## Communities claimed to be Occitan since the 482/99 Act

These are the communities which are referred as "Occitan" in the text of the 482/99 Act, and by the agency of linguistic safeguard Chambra d'Oc, even if there was no previous source which supported this appellation. All these villages and towns lack the historical rootedness of the linguistic minority, because no linguist noticed any Occitan presence before the law. In these cases the Provençal translation of the place name doesn't exist, or it's an exonym used by the patoisants of the upper valleys to indicate the lower valley settlements, or it is the transliteration in Occitan orthography of the Piedmontese/Ligurian toponym.
| Val Cluson | Alta Val Chisone |
| Las Pòrtas | Porte |
| - | Pinerolese |
| Campilhon e Fenil | Campiglione-Fenile |
| Cantaloba | Cantalupa |
| Frussasc | Frossasco |
| Pinairòl | Pinerolo |
| Rolet | Roletto |
| Sant Pière | San Pietro Val Lemina |
| San Segond | San Secondo di Pinerolo |
| Val Pèlis | Val Pellice |
| Bibiana - | Bibiana |
| Bricairàs - | Bricherasio |
| Luserna e San Jan | Luserna San Giovanni |
| Lusernèta | Lusernetta |
| Val Infernòt e Plana Padana | Valle Infernotto e Pianura Padana |
| Barge | Barge |
| Banhòl | Bagnolo Piemonte |
| Envie | Envie |
| Revèl | Revello |
| Val Pò | Valle Po |
| Brondèl | Brondello |
| Castelar | Castellar |
| Gambasca | Gambasca |
| Martinhana | Martiniana Po |
| Paisana | Paesana |
| Panh | Pagno |
| Rifred | Rifreddo |
| Sant Frònt | Sanfront |
| Val Varacha | Val Varaita |
| Brossasc | Brossasco |
| Isascha | Isasca |
| Peasc | Piasco |
| Rossana | Rossana |
| Val Maira | Val Maira |
| Busca | Busca |
| Draonier | Dronero |
| La Ròca | Roccabruna |
| Lo Vilar | Villar San Costanzo |
| Val Grana | Valle Grana |
| Bernès | Bernezzo |
| Caralh | Caraglio |
| Cervasca | Cervasca |
| Montomal | Montemale di Cuneo |
| Valgrana | Valgrana |
| Val d'Estura | Valle Stura |
| Lo Borg | Borgo San Dalmazzo |
| Gaiòla | Gaiola |
| Moiòla | Moiola |
| Ritana | Rittana |
| Valàuria | Valloriate |
| Vinhòl | Vignolo |
| Val Ges | Valle Gesso |
| Rocavion | Roccavione |
| Region de Mondòvi | Mondovì neighbourhood |
| Frabosa Sobrana | Frabosa Soprana |
| Frabosa Sotana | Frabosa Sottana |
| Roburent | Roburent |
| Ròcafòrt | Roccaforte Mondovì |
| Vilanòva | Villanova Mondovì |
| Val Pes | Valle Pesio |
| Bueves - | Boves |
| La Clusa - | Chiusa di Pesio |
| Poranh | Peveragno |
| Tèrra Brigasca | Upper Tanaro Valley |
| Ra Briga Auta | Briga Alta |
| Viosèna | Viozene di Ormea |
| Reaud | Realdo di Triora |
| Verdeja | Verdeggia di Triora |
| Val Ròia | Roja Valley |
| Auriveta | Olivetta San Michele |