Briga Alta
Briga Alta: the small Piedmontese municipality with only 37 inhabitants
Briga Alta, also known as ''Ra Briga Âuta'' in the Brigasco dialect and ''Briga Àuta'' in the Ligurian language, is located in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont and is one of the 100 Italian municipalities with the smallest population, preceded only by Morterone and Pedesina. Interestingly, the municipality has less than 1 inhabitant per square kilometer.
Physical geography
The municipal territory of Briga Alta consists of two physically separate parts, namely the northern part of the Negrone valley (stream) on the left bank and the head of the valley, including the source of the Tanarello, which extends partly into the Pesio valley. The highest point is Punta Marguareis at 2,651 meters above sea level, while part of Mount Bertrand (2,481 m) is located in the municipality of Briga Alta. The municipality is located in the southernmost part of the region, and to reach the villages of Upega and Carnino, it is necessary to cross the Colletta delle Salse pass, entering Liguria. Briga Alta was part of the Alto Tanaro Cebano Monregalese mountain community and, in the past, was part of the Alta Valle Pesio e Tanaro Nature Park, now called the Marguareis Nature Park.
History
The municipality of Briga Alta is made up of the hamlets of Piaggia (the capital), Upega, and Carnino. The portion of the municipality of Briga Marittima located in the upper Tanaro basin remained Italian after the passage of the upper Val Roia to France, therefore, the administrative subdivision was established which led to the creation of Briga Alta and the cession of Briga Marittima to France, now called La Brigue. These events are recounted in the docufilm ''E ci si trova dall'altra parte'' by Nicola Farina.
Society
Demographic evolution
From 1871, the year in which the highest number of residents was registered, to today, the municipality of Briga Alta has lost 96.47% of its population.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architectures
The municipality of Briga Alta has several churches belonging to the diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo, including:
- Parish church of Saint James the Greater in Piaggia;
- Parish church of Our Lady of the Snow in Upper Carnino;
- Church of Saint Roch in Lower Carnino;
- Church of Our Lady of the Snow in Upega;
- Parish church of Saint Anne in Upega;
- Mountain church of Saint Erim (Saint Elmo or Saint Erasmus) in the Valley of the Masters.
Natural environments
The municipality of Briga Alta offers several natural wonders, such as the ''Gola delle Fascette'' in Upega, the speleological complexes of the ''Fascette'' in Upega and ''Piaggia Bella'' in Carnino, the ''Bosco delle Navette'' and the ''Bosco Nero'' in Upega. In addition, part of the Marguareis Nature Park is located within the municipal territory of Briga Alta.
Anthropical geography
Briga Alta, like the entire Brigasco territory, is part of the Ligurian language and the integrated area of Terra Brigasca. To reach the municipality of Briga Alta, it is necessary to cross Salse, a hamlet of Mendatica in the province of Imperia.
In conclusion, Briga Alta is a truly interesting and unique municipality, which stands out for its geographic peculiarity and the natural beauty of its territory. Despite its small population, Briga Alta offers several attractions that are definitely worth a visit.
