Makanà.

The original name of Macugnaga (Piemonte, Italy), a land originating from centuries of a population of Germanic origin that inhabits the Alpine regions around Monte Rosa. They call their speech “Titsch”. They belong to the root of the Alemanni.

They are mountain experts, accustomed to harsh climates, the Walsers found in the Pennine, Lepontine and Graie Alps (which include some of the greatest peaks and highest passes of the entire chain) an ideal environment to settle. And it is in these mountainous areas, still uncontaminated today, characterized by small villages, high altitude pastures, woods and unproductive rocky environments, that this ancient language is still spoken by the few people who form the Walser community of the Ossola, Formazza valleys, Sesia and Anzasca. The colonization of the Walser in this territory was peaceful, given the climatically and geographically impervious and inhospitable nature of the occupied territories. They did not take away anybody’s land: instead they went to civilize environments never inhabited by man. The effects of globalization have been seen for some time in these places. There are still a few Walsers who continue to speak their native language. Their customs and traditions are celebrated every year.

The Piemontese Walser community is divided into twelve municipalities all located in the provinces of Vercelli and Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and maintains strong ties with the Walser communities residing in (German-speaking) Switzerland.