Gardiol, Occitan dialect in Guardia Piemontese, Italy

Gardiol (gardiòl in Occitan) is the Occitan dialect spoken in Guardia Piemontese, Calabria. It belongs to the Vivaro-Alpine branch, brought by Waldensian settlers from the Piedmont valleys in the 14th century. Its pronunciation differs from French Occitan, but since the 1970s a spelling adapted from the classical Occitan norm by German Romanist Hans-Peter Kunert has made it readable outside the town.

Gardiol descends from the Vivaro-Alpine Occitan of the Piedmont valleys, brought to Guardia Piemontese by Waldensian settlers in the 14th century. In 1561 a persecution of the Waldensians killed many of them. From the 1970s Arturo Genre spread the name "Occitan" and the Escolo dòu Po spelling, and Hans-Peter Kunert adapted the classical Occitan orthography to Gardiol, enabling a Gardiol-Italian dictionary and school materials.

Gardiol shapes daily life in this small town, heard among neighbors and families who value it as part of their local identity. The language connects residents to their shared heritage and distinguishes their community from surrounding regions.

Guardia Piemontese is a small hill town in the province of Cosenza, reachable by road from the A2 motorway and the Tyrrhenian coast. The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, with steep lanes and stairways. The local tourist office can put visitors in touch with residents and cultural groups who still use Gardiol daily.

The German Romanist Hans-Peter Kunert adapted the classical Occitan spelling to Gardiol, making the dialect readable outside Guardia Piemontese; this enabled school materials and a Gardiol-Italian dictionary. In 1999 Agostino Formica's field survey found the language holding up well despite only about 370 speakers. Fiorenzo Toso counted 340 speakers out of 1,860 inhabitants in 2007.