Gressoney-Saint-Jean

Gressoney-Saint-Jean (Gressoney Greschòney Zer Chilchu; Gressonèy-Sèn-Dzan) is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.

Geography
The town is situated in a valley formed by the torrent Lys which is fed by the Lys glacier.

History, Walser culture and language
Though Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Gressoney-La-Trinité form two separate comunes they form a Walser German cultural unity known as Greschòney or Creschnau in Greschoneytitsch (or simply Titsch), the local Walser German dialect, or Kressenau in German.

In 1868, the Lys flooded the village.

From 1928 until 1946 the two were united into one commune, officially named Gressoney, which from 1939 onward was Italianized as Gressonei. After WWII, the two former communes were reconstituted as well as their original name in French.

An example of Greschòneytitsch:

Points of interest

 * Savoy Castle, a former summer residence of the House of Savoy
 * Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden, an alpine botanical garden within the grounds of Savoy Castle
 * Villa Margherita, a former nobles' residence and currently the town hall