Cottian Alps

The Cottian Alps form a high barrier west of Piedmont, with valleys running down toward the Po. The range takes its name from Cottius, a ruler of Alpine peoples in Roman times. In the Middle Ages its valleys were divided between Savoy and the Dauphiné; communities in the latter's mountain territories enjoyed limited autonomy as the Escartons. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 transferred the eastern mountain lands to Savoy.