Scopri i castelli e i siti storici più affascinanti della Valle d'Aosta
MEGALITHIC AREA, AOSTA
The archaeological area of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans in Aosta is a multi-layered site whose historical traces range from the Romanesque church, built on Roman and Gallic remains, to the sanctuaries of the Copper Age, up to the consecration rituals dating back to the end of the Neolithic. The ritual plowing, alignments of wooden poles and anthropomorphic stelae – works of great ancient statuary of global importance – are prehistoric testimonies that make this place an archaeological deposit of international importance and accompany the visitor on a journey through time with a strong emotional impact and very high cultural value.
AYMAVILLES CASTLE
The castle of Aymavilles stands in the center of the village, on a moraine relief. The four cylindrical towers, characteristic of the building, were added to the pre-existing central body by Aimone di Challant in the mid-fourteenth century. Around 1730, Baron Giuseppe Felice di Challant created the loggias between the towers and removed many defensive structures, giving the interiors a Baroque appearance. After the extinction of the Challant family, the castle passed into the hands of various owners. Acquired in 1970 by the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley, the castle is currently undergoing restoration and enhancement to make it accessible to the public.
FÉNIS CASTLE
The castle of Fénis, located on a portion of territory without natural defenses, combines the features of a fortification with those of a noble residence. Known for its extraordinary architecture, with its towers and crenellated walls, it strikes those who observe it and immediately recalls the history, life and art of the Middle Ages. The manor is the synthesis of several construction campaigns that followed one another over the years, due to the most important exponents of the Challant family: they enriched it with elegant pictorial decorations to make it suitable as a representative seat and endowed it with an imposing defensive apparatus, as a testimony of power and prestige.
FORT OF BARD
The Fort of Bard is equipped with the most modern visitor reception services and has infrastructures to offer high quality standards. All spaces are air-conditioned and heated. Groups and schools can, upon reservation, use an assisted accompaniment service inside the Fort and cultural mediators for educational activities.
ISSOGNE CASTLE
Starting from autumn 2018, a new emotional and multimedia setup dedicated to Vittorio Avondo, illustrious owner of the Issogne manor, enhances and enriches the castle's offer, highlighting the late nineteenth-century events with a series of panels, multimedia solutions and elements of poetic suggestion. Born in Turin in 1836 and devoted to painting from a young age, Avondo is considered one of the best representatives of Piedmontese landscape painting of the 19th century.
PONT D'AEL
The Pont d'Aël is a Roman aqueduct bridge located near the village of the same name in the municipality of Aymavilles, in the Aosta Valley. It was built in 3 BC for the irrigation and supply of a mineral washing plant for the colony of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, today's Aosta, then just founded. The bridge, located at the entrance to the Cogne valley, a side valley, 66 meters above the valley floor, supports a technically advanced aqueduct, a total of 6 km long.
SAINT PIERRE CASTLE
Located on a rocky spur in the locality of Tache, unmistakable for its fairytale shape, the castle of Saint Pierre represents a 'unicum' in its kind. The famous four side turrets (added in the 19th century) make almost Disney-like what turns out to be one of the oldest manors in the region. The primitive structure should date back to the 12th century as, in the famous Charter of Liberties of 1191, appear the names of the brothers 'de castro Sancti Petri', co-owners of part of the castle.
ROYAL CASTLE OF SARRE
The castle stands in the locality of Lalex, on a promontory overlooking the Aosta plain above the state road to Mont Blanc, shortly after the junction for Cogne. Built in 1710 by Giovanni Francesco Ferrod of Arvier on the remains of a fortified house from 1242, after various changes of ownership it was purchased in 1869 by the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel II, who renovated it and used it as a residence during his hunting trips in the Aosta Valley.
SAVOY CASTLE, GRESSONEY
Built at the behest of Queen Margherita of Savoy, who had been staying in Gressoney as a guest of the Beck Peccoz barons since 1889, the castle stands at the foot of the Colle della Ranzola in the locality known as 'Belvedere', due to the splendid view that from there dominates the whole valley up to the Lyskamm glacier. The laying of the first stone of the building took place on August 24, 1899 in the presence of King Umberto I who, assassinated in Monza a year later, would not see the completion of the works, which lasted until 1904.
