Ala Valley and Grande Valley of Lanzo

The Ala Valley and the Grande Valley of Lanzo are two completely different landscape territories. The Ala Valley is in fact, characterized by a deep V-shaped furrow carved by the river which determined that the prevalent settlements be primarily set on the middle slopes. In contrast, the Grande Valley is predominantly U-shaped, and the settlements occupy the wide floodplain area. The slopes are therefore complex, deeply slanting and highly chiselled but with gentle slopes occupied by villages and mountain meadows.

In the two valleys, one may observe the remains of hastily retreating glaciers, glacial lakes (Unghiasse, Sagnasse), rock formations, and alpine meadows especially on the sunny slopes where grazing activities are still fairly widespread, and several less accessible meadows used by small livestock farmers. Instead, the north-facing slopes, the first grazing lands to be abandoned are already overgrown with green Alder trees and shrubbery formations such as rhododendrons and other ericaceous bushes.

The century-old mining activities (Forno Graie Alps, Ala of Stura) have led to a real deforestation almost eliminating conifers and beech trees.
The valley floor's characteristics are such that it has favourable conditions for settlements and the practice of mountain grassland farming which is still very active.

The rocky border peaks like Mount Ciamarella (3,670 m), Mount Bessanese (3,600 m), Mount Punta Girard (3,262 m) and the Mount Levanne group (3,600 m) may be described as interesting landscapes of great impact, easily recognizable and from where Turin's mountaineering activities of the 1900s began to develop.

The system of elevated mountain pastures with its historic trails, small-scale infrastructure such as the stone bridge of the Vassola Valley, construction works and irrigation systems are to be noted.
There is a trend towards the abandonment of marginal pasture meadows, which are replaced by the spontaneous growth of forest tree species and autochthonous shrub-like forests or by ericaceous bushes; some of the structures and infrastructure are being restored even with techniques that are not very compatible with the surrounding environment.

Of great interest are the historic medieval centre of Lanzo at the end of the valley's gorge which links it to lower valley plains in relation to the "devil's bridge," the adjacent road network and the Pian della Mussa.

Privileged points of observation identified in the PAYS.DOC “ Good practices for the landscape” created by a virtual observatory of the Mediterranean landscape.