Ronco Canavese

Ronco Canavese sits at 956 meters at the centre of the Valle Soana, on the Piemonte side of the Gran Paradiso, Italy's oldest national park, established in 1922. The commune's territory climbs from the valley floor around 774 meters up to alpine summits above 3,400 meters, much of it inside the protected area. The first settlements between the tenth and eleventh centuries cleared land the Romans had left forested; the name comes from the Latin runcus, ground newly broken.

The first parish was recorded in the thirteenth century. The valley speaks Francoprovenzale, one of the twelve minority languages protected by the Italian Constitution. The Gran Paradiso visitor centre in Ronco focuses on the biodiversity of the Soana, including ibex, chamois and golden eagle.

Two hundred and seventy-one people live in the commune year-round, spread across the capoluogo and a dozen hamlets. The Comuni Virtuosi recognition signals a working line on waste, water and community use of public land.