Formazza is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 160 km northeast of Turin and about 50 km north of Verbania, on the border with Switzerland. 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.

Geography and climate

The village is situated about an elevation of 1200 m 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 and usually the coldest month (January) has a daily mean temperature of about -4 C. The lowest values can reach about -20 °C. The hottest month (July) has an average temperature of about 13 °C and the summer lasts less than three months.

Frazioni

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

People