• 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
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Grand Bâtiment

Pré-Saint-Didier

Ancient house in the Verrand village, it is kown as the “grand bâtiment” or also as “Verrand castle”. It has a number of characteristics from ancient times, such as the gothic windows in worked stone and a spiral staircase on the inside. There are no …

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Castles and towers
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Casaforte, La Tour Povil

Quart

The “Casaforte di Povil” originally belonged to the lords of Quart. It was purchased in the second half of the fourteenth century by Jean-Michel Piquart, lord of the manor of Quart at the time and a member of the La Tour family of Courmayeur, who died …

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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 …

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Castles and towers
Fort-house of Rhins - Roisan

Rhins Stronghold

Roisan

This stronghold dates back to the 12the century and dominated the small fiefdom of the bishop of Aosta. The building has long been converted into a rural residence, but its architectural structure preserves the appearance of a stronghold.

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Castles and towers
Vision from the North

Passerin d'Entrèves Castle

Saint-Christophe

The castle belonged to the noble Sorelley family, who lived there in the 16th and 17th centuries. The oldest part is the circular tower on the south side which contains the tiny chapel. It was extended and transformed into a noble residence and still …

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Castles and towers
Castello di Cly - Saint-Denis

Cly Castle

Saint-Denis

Rising up on rocky outcrop that gives control over the entire valley in an area that saw settlements dating back to prehistoric times (Bronze Age and Iron Age), this castle is fully part of the category of so-called ‘primitive castles’ by virtue of its …

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Castles and towers
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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 …

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Castles and towers
The access to the building

Château Verdun

Saint-Oyen

Situated along the road that leads down to Flassin, the building was erected between the 10th and the 11th century. In 1137 it was donated by Amadeus III of Savoy to the Canons of the Gran San Bernardo Hospice, who used it as a stopping station and …

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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. …

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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- …

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