Formazza

Formazza (Walser: Púmâtt; Ossolano: Formassa; German: Pomatt) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Turin and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Verbania, on the border with Switzerland.

Formazza Púmâtt (Walser)
Comune
Comune di Formazza
Mountains in Formazza
Coat of arms
Location of Formazza
Formazza Location of Formazza in Italy Show map of Italy Formazza Formazza (Piedmont) Show map of Piedmont
Coordinates: 46°23′N 8°26′E
Country	Italy
Region	Piedmont
Province	Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (VB)
Frazioni	Foppiano, Antillone, Fondovalle, Chiesa, Valdo, San Michele, Ponte (communal seat), Brendo, Grovella, Canza, Sotto Frua, La Frua, Riale
Government
• Mayor	Bruna Piera Papa
Area [1]
• Total	130.65 km2 (50.44 sq mi)
Elevation	1,280 m (4,200 ft)
Population  (30 June 2017)[2]
• Total	438
• Density	3.4/km2 (8.7/sq mi)
Demonym	Formazzini
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	28030
Dialing code	0324
Website	Official website

Formazza borders the following municipalities: Baceno, Bedretto (Switzerland), Bignasco (Switzerland), Binn (Switzerland), Bosco/Gurin (Switzerland), Cavergno (Switzerland), Premia, Reckingen-Gluringen (Switzerland), Ulrichen (Switzerland).

The village was founded by Walser and Walser German is still spoken.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1861	656	—
1871	683	+4.1%
1881	654	−4.2%
1901	515	−21.3%
1911	499	−3.1%
1921	517	+3.6%
1931	659	+27.5%
1936	748	+13.5%
1951	732	−2.1%
1961	648	−11.5%
1971	577	−11.0%
1981	547	−5.2%
1991	461	−15.7%
2001	448	−2.8%
2011	442	−1.3%
Source: ISTAT 2012

Geography and climate

View of Ponte in Formazza.

The village is situated about an elevation of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level on the Formazza plateau in Formazza valley. Its altitude and location directly under the high mountains of the western Alps influences the climate. In fact, there is an average of more than one meter and thirty centimeters of precipitation per year (especially snow). The climate is the type Dfb/Dfc (Köppen climate classification), which means it is a humid continental climate with fresh and short summers (but usually there is no dry season). The annual average temperature at one local weather station is about 4 °C (39 °F) and usually the coldest month (January) has a daily mean temperature of about −4 °C (25 °F). The lowest values can reach about −20 °C (−4 °F). The hottest month (July) has an average temperature of about 13 °C (55 °F) and the summer lasts less than three months.

Frazioni

Frazioni, or subdivisions of Formazza (first name in Italian, second name in Walser):

• Antillone / Puneigä
• Brendo / In dä Brendu
• Canza / Früttwald - Früduwald
• Chiesa - Alla Chiesa / Zer Chilchu - Andermatten - An där Mattu - In där Mattu
• Fondovalle / Stafelwald - Schtaafuwaald
• Foppiano / Untermstalden - Unnerum Schtaldä
• Frua / Uf der Frütt
• Sotto Frua / Unter der Frütt
• Grovella / Gurfelen - Gurfelä
• Morasco / Moraschg
• Ponte - Al Ponte / Zum Steg - Zumstäg - Zumschtäg - Zer Briggu
• Riale / Kehrbäch(i) - Cherbäch
• Valdo / Wald - Waald
• San Michele / Tuffwaald - Tuffalt

People

• Mario Bacher (b. 1941), ski mountaineer and cross-country skier

See also

• Lake Castel