• Culture

    Castles

    sentinels of time

CASTLES, TOWERS AND FORTIFIED HOUSES

In Aosta Valley the first castles, towers and fortified houses arose between the beginning of the eleventh and the twelfth centuries, often on top of previous fortifications. In the following centuries, the residential functions began to prevail over the defensive elements.

Whether you meet them along the trail or admire them in a panoramic position on the opposite side of the valley, the castles are ever-present travelling companions along the Balteo Trail.

NOT TO BE MISSED

Fort of Bard

Imposing nineteenth-century fortress along stage 23, it is today a cultural center which houses various museums, including the museum of the Alps, and important temporary exhibitions.  

Issogne Castle

Along stage 21, it houses surprising art treasures, such as the pomegranate fountain and the valuable frescoes of the portico lunettes.

Gamba castle

In Châtillon, along stage 20, the castle houses the regional collection of modern and contemporary art with over 150 works.

FÉNIS CASTLE

Towers and crenellated walls that evoke an adventurous and fairytale dimension, make the Fénis castle one of the most famous and most popular castles to visit in Valle d’Aosta (stages 19 and 20).

CASTLES, TOWERS AND FORTIFIED HOUSES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

Castles and towers
Quart Castle

Quart Castle

Quart

The castle is a set of buildings arranged within a fortified perimeter, which respects the natural contour of a difficult rocky slope. The donjon standing on the highest point of the rock, the functional layout of individual buildings, the chapel and the …

Details
Castles and towers
..

Saint-Marcel castle

Saint-Marcel

This example of a late “mono-block” castle, probably built in the fourteenth century, stands on a plateau at a crossroads of paths leading along the valley bottom and the roads towards the larger valley located to the south, known since Medieval times …

Details
Castles and towers
Night-time

Saint-Pierre Castle

Saint-Pierre

This fairy-tale castle set on a crag above the village is really unique.The famous four little lateral towers, which were added in the 19th century, give to Saint-Pierre’s castle, that ranks among the oldest manors in the region, a Disney-like appearance. …

Details
Castles and towers
Autumn

Sarriod de La Tour Castle

Saint-Pierre

Buy your tickets on-lineEvidence of the existence of the Sarriod noble family, linked politically, but not by blood, to the lords of Bard, goes back to the end of the 12th century. We are still not certain of the origins of the castle located in Saint- …

Details
Castles and towers
Close-up

Verrès Castle

Verrès

Buy your tickets on-lineAn inscription carved in Gothic characters states that Ibleto of Challant began works in 1390. In 1536 Renato of Challant renovated the defence structures, adapting them for modern fire arms. On this occasion, a boundary wall with …

Details
Castles and towers
Châtel Argent

Châtel Argent

Villeneuve

Book your visit to the castle here.Recent studies have shown that the current configuration of the castle dates back to around 1275; however the place name Castrum Argenteum had already appeared in 1176. The constructor was probably Master James of Saint …

Details