New results acquired in the coesite-bearing terrane of the Dora-Maira massif, Italian Western Alps, indicate that the UHP unit extends over less than 45 km2 and is bounded by two lower-grade continental units. The contact to the footwall unit is a late, lowangle, top-to-the-SW extensional one, which probably cuts across the original thrust contact. The protolith of the pyrope “whiteschist” of the UHP unit is shown to be the metasomatic transformation product of granitic rock. Nearend member magnesiochloritoid and magnesiostaurolite occur in pyrope megablasts. Ordering in mag-nesiostaurolite leads to cross-hatched twinning and superstructures with either a doubled a or doubled c parameter. The Si3.5 phengite-3T from the same whiteschist contains nano- to microscale quartz platelets and talc layers parallel to (001) of the host mica, interpreted as in situ decompression products of the mica. Some of the pyrope megablasts contain late, crack-related granulite-facies mineral assemblages, which reflect very low H2O activities as a result of local closed-system evolution at temperatures as low as 550 to 600°C. Thermobarometry on successive mineral generations in the dark- and light-colored UHP eclogites (probably former dikes and/or volcanic tuffs with sedimentary components) better constrains the prograde path and confirms that decompression took place at temperatures just slightly higher than during burial. The geochemistry of the main rock types in this piece of subducted continental crust shows no evidence of interaction with mantle material. Localscale fluid evolution and control by deformation seem to be a general feature. New geochronological and fission-track data imply very high uplift rates, on the order of 2.2 cm/y.