Issime

Introduction

A mid-mountain municipality, located at the beginning of the Walser (Germanic) area of the Lys valley, of which it has been the main centre for centuries, thanks also to its location on a fertile plain.

Description

Isime's main town (in dialect 'duarf) still preserves important relics from the medieval period, when Issime was an administrative centre of the Vallaise seigniory. In particular, it is possible to admire the wooden stalls on which the judge and his councillors sat, the chains to which condemned prisoners were tied when pilloried, and the 17th-century frescoes in the parish church.
Like all villages of Walser ethnicity, Issime, in Eischeme dialect, is a jealous custodian of its traditions, in particular its language, the töitschu, an even more archaic version of the Gressoney titch, and therefore closer to ancient Alemannic.
Evidence of Germanic culture in the form of typical ancient buildings can be found not only in the main village, but also at higher altitudes in the San Grato and Bourines valleys, which were once inhabited all year round. Antoine de Bourines, a legendary figure of a giant mountaineer-warrior, was a native of the latter village. In 1347, he is said to have led his villagers in the battle of Rollu-Mattu, effectively putting an end to the raids of the soldiers of the neighbouring lordship of Challant.

Information

Area: 35.38 sq km
Altitude: 956m
Maximum elevation:  Mont Nery (3075m)
 Number of inhabitants: 1856
Name in dialect: Éischeme
Inhabitant names: issimesi (in Italian), issimois (in French), éischemera (in Töitschu) and schummerou (in Gaby patois)
 Patron Saint:St. James (25 July)
Website: www.comune.issime.ao.en
Webcam:
Bordering municipalities: Arnad, Brusson, Challand-Saint-Anselme, Challand-Saint-Victor, Fontainemore, Gaby, Lillianes, Perloz, Sagliano Micca
 Villages and hamlets: Fornas (Fornaz), Bioley (Biouley), Ceresole (Di Zinnisili), Champriond (Tschendriun), Chef-lieu (Duarf or Hauptort), Chincheré (Tschentschiri), Crest (Krecht), Crose (Kruasi), Cugna (Künju), Fontaineclaire (Funtrunkieeru), Grand Champ (Gran Tschamp), Grand Praz (Gran Proa), Nicche (Nicke), Plane (Pioani), Praz (Proa), Preit (zam Preite), Karrutzu, Proasch (Proasch), Ribola (Ribulu), Riccard (Rickard), Riccourt (Rickurt), Riccourt Dessus (Z'uabra Rickurt), Herrenhaus (tsch'Hieruhous), Riva (Réivu), Bennetsch, Rollie (Rollji), Seingles (Zéngji), Seingles Dessus (Z'uabra Zéngji), Stein (Stein), Tontinel (Tuntelentsch), Vecchaus (Vetsch-hus), Zan (Sann)
 Alpeggiations: