Centre d’études francoprovençales René Willien
Founded in 1967, the CEFP is dedicated to the research and promotion of the Francoprovençal language and Alpine culture. Under the patronage of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, the CEFP has long had an international vision, promoted by scholars such as Ernest Schüle, Gaston Tuaillon, and Corrado Grassi. The center aims to create a space for exchange and discussion on Francoprovençal studies.
Since its inception, the CEFP has spearheaded major initiatives like the Atlas des Patois Valdôtains and the Enquête toponymique. Over time, its activities and partnerships have expanded, with a team of experts in humanities and language sciences. The CEFP organizes an international annual conference (with published proceedings), a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to Francoprovençal studies, and interdisciplinary training weeks for students, researchers, and teachers, focused on Alpine culture and/or the Francoprovençal language.
Beyond its scholarly and editorial work, the CEFP engages the public with conferences, video capsules, and traveling exhibitions to stimulate dialogue and new ideas, in collaboration with educational institutions.
Examples of Projects:
Between 2017 and 2023, the CEFP conducted research at the crossroads of anthropology and linguistics to study spatial representations in the historically Francoprovençal-speaking regions of the Alps, spanning France, Italy, and Switzerland. The research focused on linguistic structures in everyday speech and how these reflect spatial expressions and movement in a mountainous landscape.
The project, based on the analysis of linguistic structures, has shown the richness and precision of spatial expression among these communities. It also highlighted the persistence of ancient absolute spatial reference systems in these linguistic groups.
The second phase of this project has expanded to explore the relationship between humans, language, and space across the broader Alpine region, seeking to understand these dynamics in similar cultural and physical environments.
Website : www.centre-etudes-francoprovencales.eu
Contact : Christiane Dunoyer, Scientific Director of CEFP
