French are defeated at Mutin, Piemonte wins new territory

301 years ago here at Fenestrelle was a French fortress. Built to block the Chisone Valley from marauding Waldensians and the Piemontese. On Sept 12 1708 after 3 weeks of battle the fortress fell to thePiemontese thanks to the help of Austrian and Hungarian allies and the rest is as they say "History".

Fenestrelle benefits not just from having the largest fortress in Europe but also from a string of fortifications that surround the area. Fort Mutin is just the most recent of these to begin to be uncovered and made accessible.

Exactly 301 years after that siege we have celebrated the rebirth of this ill feted fortification. A fort that followed a perfect text book design but however suffered from one lethal flaw. It was built in the base of the valley, surrounded on all sides by high mountain peaks from where the enemy could shoot down into the fort.

The great Vauban visited the fort in 1701 and would have had the fortress demolished if it was not for the fact that it had cost so much to build in the first place. He did however order the construction of several redoubts and fortifications around Fenestrelle of which Elmo, Tre Denti and Fort des Aguilles became incorporated into what we now know as The fortress of Fenestrelle. Thanks to this remedial work the fortress lasted for three weeks which was no mean feat when you consider it's position and the fact that 45 Piemontese cannon were firing 200 shots each per cannon per day.

This weekend saw a reconstruction of the siege and a demonstration by the Pietro Micca Association, well known in these parts for their revocation of the siege of Turin and Battle of Assietta.

The old walls of Mutin are now visible once again from afar thanks to the clearance of the overgrowing trees and clever illumination. This has once again turned Fenestrelle into the Gateway to the Alps.

Tour De France 2009 and Next year 2010

Ok the great race is over and it is fair to say that it was a great race for us Brits. Mark Cavendish winning more stages than any other rider and the great Bradley Wiggins coming 4th! I think we are going to see a bit more of these two next year in the Tour. Well done guys! We must not forget the other Brits who did well such as good old Charlie Wegelius. There is one nagging question however. Where was David Millar? Since he has been racing clean he is nowhere to be seen! Why is this? Maybe he was just not up to it? However it is certainly refreshing to see some excellent British cylists getting results and entertaining us without being prima donnas. Well done guys!

Here in Val Chisone we now wait with baited breath for the official announcement of the 2010 route which rumour has it will be passing outside our doorstep. I do hope so! Thsi years Giro was a great success even though it was marred by the fact that Di Luca was cheating- Doped on the CERA. It also means that he was cheating when he topped the Colle della Finestra in 2005. It seriously saddens me and it tarnishes the whole event.

On confirmation of next years routes our cycling holiday company Hannibal Cycling Tours will be offering a special package for the week that the tour passes through our area. Contact us to be placed on the priority mailing list for this event. We also arrange cycling and walking packages for small groups, clubs and associations.

Notte Bianca A Fenestrelle,( White night at Fenestrelle)

The holiday season has got off to a flying start this year with last weekend's Valaddo and this weekend's Notte Bianca (white night).
"What is the Valaddo?" I hear you ask and also "What is a white night?"
Lets answer these two questions in order.
The Valaddo.
The Valaddo is an annual get together by groups of people who share the heritage of Occitan culture. This is a cultural and linguistic group that covered the suthern part of France, Spain and the western Italian Alpine valleys. The traces of this culture can be clearly seen in the names of the French "department" of Langue d'Oc meaning those who speak Oc the language of Occitania.
It is an event that generally involves lots of dancing, singing and generally having fun. Serious enthusiasts will dress in traditional costume and show off their traditional dancing skills as well as talking in the almost lost language of Oc.

White nights
A white night or Notte Bianca as it is properly called is simply a great excuse for a good night out. It is a night that the shops stay open extra late and the streets are filled with music, entertainment and side shows. They have been very successful in the big cities with even the museums stayig open until the early hours. Here in Fenestrelle we have just held our own Notte Bianca. It may have been on a smaller scale but it still does not stop us having a good time!
The night was warm and balmy, the street was full of people and one of the great things about our little town is that all age groups were present and enjoying themselves. We had music, entertainers, good food and wine as well as being able to wander in and out of the shops that not only stayed open later but had made a special effort to welcome visitors.

apologies for the photo quality. These were taken by mobile phone camera.

Certianly Fenestrelle is not a Grand City with sophisticated entertainment but it is certainly a quiet little town that knows how to entertain and provide a relaxing location for a holiday!

Giro d'Monte

I finally remembered to take the GPS with me on this trail! A great way to take in the views around he mountains in Val Chisone.

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Alps in bloom

Alps in bloom
Originally uploaded by Hannibal Cycle tours / Belvedere B&B

The sun is shining. There has been plenty of snow melt and the mountain pastures are lush with vegetation. The Alps are blooming lie they have never done before. At this time of year the alpine pastures become full of Gentians, orchids, daisies and other colourful flowers. It is an ideal time to explore the area just before the farmers take their cattle up to graze. A floraphile's delight!

Mark Cavendish Top Sprinter

Mark did it again at Florence. This time Petacchi even admitted that he could not keep up with Cavendish. The Italian press however were not as gracious. They claimed that Petacchi had caught some wind as he tried to sprint for the line. obviously Cavendish had found the only non windy bit on the whole track?
Mark's career has really only just begun and he has many more years of development ahead of him. My prediction is that Cippolini's record of sprint victories will be beaten by the "Manx Thunderbolt". I think this year will be sen in Yellow during the Tour and he will certainly be winning a few more stages this year in both main tours.
British cycling is at it's best ever. Lets not loose this by being complacent. I hope that Cavendish is inspiring the younger generation as much as he is inspiring mine.

Giro comes to Fenestrelle

Giro d'Italia 09 Cuneo Pinerolo at Fenestrelle
Originally uploaded by Hannibal Cycle tours / Belvedere B&B

I am fortunate that I live in an area where the Giro and Tour visit regularly. Maybe that is why I run a cycle holiday company. It may have something to do with the fact that I love cycling as well?

This Tuesday saw the longest stage of the Giro d'Italia pass right through our town of Fenestrelle and we wrer in the right place to get some fantastic photos. The stage saw an epic battle between the top riders with Di Luca coming out on top. Lance was doing OK but should have been up at the front on this stage. The course also hosted the Cima Coppi of this years Giro at Sestriere. Only a paltry 2035m above sea level. However, the 260km stage certainly took its toll with the last riders passing through Fenestrelle a good twenty five minutes after the leaders.

I think that baring anything serious then the trophy for the Giro will have Danilo Di Luca's name on it in Rome.
Pinerolo saw the finish and the coverage on the TV certainly seemed to be a good advert for Val Chisone. It looked so good I want to go and visit!