Alpen-Panoramen, Panorama der Alpen

In the Graian Alps, two peaks above the city of Aosta — Monte Emilius (3559 m) and Becca di Nona (3142 m) — are linked not only by geography but also by local legend.

The name Monte Emilius most likely derives from the Roman personal name Aemilius, reflecting the deep imprint of Roman culture in the Aosta Valley. By contrast, Becca di Nona combines becca (from the local patois, meaning “peak” or “crag”) with Nona, a name that tradition has reinterpreted through storytelling.

From the valley floor, the silhouettes of the two mountains suggest the figures of two women: Monte Emilius as the matron, the married woman, and Becca di Nona as the maiden, the virgin. While the scholarly etymology points to Roman roots and dialectal usage, the popular imagination has transformed these peaks into symbolic counterparts — the mature wife and the youthful virgin — standing side by side above Aosta.