March 2006

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OCCITAN, MOTHER LANGUAGE OF THE OLYMPIC VALLEYS

March 2006 - The province of Turin presented the project “Occitan: Olympic language” coordinated by the region of Piedmont’s Council of Culture to promote the linguistic heritage of the minorities living in the area where the Winter Olympic Games have been held. The project came as the result of a call made in 2001 by Occitan cultural and language associations of the province to stimulate the visibility and the use of Occitan during the celebration of the sport event.

Occitan is spoken in Italy, mainly in fifteen alpine valleys in the Piedmontese provinces of Turin. It is never used by central and regional administrative bodies, although it is protected according to the Linguistic Protection Act 482/99.

The project included the opening of four offices under the name “Offices for the mother tongue of the Olympic Valleys: Occitan, Franco-Provencal and French” in Turin, Sestriere, Oulx and Gaglione with the aim of informing about the culture and the language of the minorities. A publication in four languages entitled Occitan, mother tongue of the Olympic Valleys, was issued for this purpose. The project also includes a series of cultural events related to language and sport scheduled for the Cultural Olympiad, such as exhibitions, music concerts, theatre, dancing parties, etc.

The representative of the main Occitan organization working for the language in the Occitan-speaking valleys of Italy, Chambra d’Oc, said that they did not achieved all they wished, but with the work of Valter Giuliano from the province of Turin and thanks to the councilor for the Mountain Affairs, Bruna Sibille, and other public bodies they assured 161.00 € for the program. He stated that “for the morale of the minority, too used to defeats, this seems a pretty good thing.”