Valle d'Aosta

Tourism

The Valle d'Aosta is a unique region: favorite destination of tourists from around the world, in both summer and winter, offers tourists a beautiful landscape, dozens of famous skiing localities (Courmayeur, Cogne, Gressoney), unforgettable charming places, and a long list of medieval castles to visit.

In Val d'Aosta are, in fact, many castles scattered throughout the region, offering a comprehensive overview of the civil and military medieval architecture. From the massive towers of the beginning of the second millennium, to the ancient castles of the XII-XIII sec., to complex three-fifteenth-century fortifications, to the sophisticated residences of early sixteenth century, the Valle d'Aosta allows you to make a journey through the long the Middle Ages, tracing the evolution of military technology, and recognizing economic, historical and cultural change. Currently can be entirely visited the castles of Fénis, Issogne, Verrès, Ussel (Chatillon), Sarriod de la Vallée (Saint-Pierre), Sarre and the Castel Savoia in Gressoney.

Aosta

Aosta is not within the traditional tourist routes and is often used as base city to move towards the locations of mountains that surround it. But the natural beauty should not attract full attention: the risk of forgetting that Aosta itself, with its picturesque town center, has many historical and artistic and cultural offer.

Before entering the city you can make a complete circle of the walls, still in excellent condition, marked by a number of towers like the Tower of the Leper, the Tour Fromage, the Tower Bramafan and the Tower of Pailleron. Close by stand the Porta Pretoria, part of the old city walls, and the Archaeological Park of the Roman Theater, the thirteenth century St. Catherine's convent and the ruins of the amphitheater of Claudius.

Outside the ancient city walls, you can admire the Arch of Augustus, 25 BC, consisting of a single arch framed by Corinthian half-columns.

Also worth seeing Sant'Orso, the largest medieval building in the city, with a Romanesque bell tower of 1131, and the Collegiate founded between 994 and 1025. Inside stand some valuable works of art: the frescoes of the fifteenth, the seventeenth-century choir stalls, stained glass and the Romanesque cloister.

Among the most interesting areas of Aosta is the Cathedral Square, which partially occupies the position of the ancient Roman Forum and houses the cathedral of the city: this is still in the first Romanesque version of the XI-XII century, with façade decorated in 1526. The interior is rather in the Gothic style, with some windows of value, the wooden choir of 1469 and the tomb of Count Thomas II of Savoy.

From the church we pass directly into the Treasure Museum, which houses some works of art once housed in the cathedral itself, plus some valuable pieces from other churches in the area.

Close to Aosta, finally, it is worth visiting Sarre with its Savoy castle and the Castle of Ayamaville, along the road to Cogne.

Another fascinating medieval castle, used as a Regional Museum of Natural Sciences, is located in the center of Saint-Pierre.