Saint-Nicolas, Aosta Valley

Saint-Nicolas was the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Cerlogne, a humble abbot who had pride in his region and its unique language, called Francoprovençal or Arpitan. He authored several noteworthy poems in his native patois and wrote the first grammar and dictionary devoted to the Valdôtain dialect.

The Center for Francoprovençal Studies (Le Centre d'études francoprovençales), or CEFP, located in the village of Fossaz-dessus, is one of the most important centers for Francoprovençal language research. It opened November 12, 1988 and was dedicated to the Aosta Valley writer and playwright René Willien. The CEFP occupies an 18th-century paysannes maison (farmhouse) native to the Aosta Valley, which was completely restored by architects Louis Bochet and Albert Breuvé. Typical of these multi-function structures, locally called a pailler, the animals, hay, and farm implements filled the barn (booué) on the ground floor, the family kitchen (meison) occupied first floor, and the sleeping room (tsambra) was located on the second floor. Among the center's holdings is the archive of the "Concours Cerlogne," a poetry, drama and music competition in the regional language reserved for elementary school students in the Aosta Valley that has been held annually since 1963.

The CEFP works in collaboration with the Regional Bureau of Ethnology and Linguistics (Bureau régional pour l'ethnologie et la linguistique) (BREL) of Aosta, and other research centers in France and Swiss Romandy on its border.

This museum, situated in the village of Lyverloulaz, demonstrates the impact of agricultural mechanization on the lives of Aosta Valley residents through the experiences of Joseph Gerbore. Funding by the municipality of Saint-Nicolas, the Aosta Valley Region, and the European Union, has enabled exhibitions, including Le temps des pionniers, at the Maison de la Tor, located in the center of the village of Lyveroulaz.