• Culture

    CHURCHES

    spirituality and tradition

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Churches and chapels, many of which are significant from a historical and artistic point of view, are found in all the villages crossed by the Balteo Trail.

Religious devotion pervades this land, where crosses and shrines were built in the past, even in harsh and dangerous places, to invoke protection or to favour crops.

NOT TO BE MISSED

Sant'Orso

The cloister of the church of Sant’Orso in Aosta (stages 18-19) is considered among the highest expressions of Romanesque religious sculpture. The wooden choir, the ancient frescoes in the attic and the chapel of the Priorship are also noteworthy.

THE CATHEDRAL OF AOSTA

The Renaissance makes its entrance into Aosta with the shapes and colors of terracotta on the facade of the Cathedral. The wooden stalls in the choir, the floor mosaics, the Ottonian frescoes in the attic and the museum of treasures are also worthy of …

THE shrine OF MACHABY

Above Arnad, along stage 4, there is an ancient shrine dedicated to the Madonna of the Snow. A hostel built in a 17th-century fort and a holiday farm serving snacks based on local products offer their hospitality.

SAN MARTINO CHURCH

In Arnad (stages 4 and 22) the stone shows the sacredness of the building, a precious pearl of history and beauty. The structure (11th century) in the Romanesque style and the 14th- and 15th-century frescoes are noteworthy.

MADELEINE CHAPEL

In Gressan, a few steps off the route (stage 18), the Romanesque church of Sainte-Marie-Magdeleine de Villa is known as the "Madeleine Chapel". The apse, the 12th-century bell tower and the frescoes by the painter Giacomino d'Ivrea are outstanding.

SAINT-VINCENT CHURCH

The church, in the welcoming pedestrian center of Saint-Vincent (stage 7), stands on the remains of a Roman building dating back to 300-400 AD.

CHURCHES ALONG THE TRAIL

Churches and shrines
Chiesa di Saint-Barthélemy

Church of Saint-Barthélemy

Nus

This small church dates back to the XII century, although the first historic mention is in the XV century, however it does not elaborate on the structure of the building. Various rebuilding work was mentioned during the centuries that followed, including …

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Churches and shrines
Chiesa di Sant' Ilario - Nus

Church of St Hilary

Nus

The first confirmation regarding the parish church of St. Ilario dates back to the 26th February 1153. During the archaeological digs in 1990 traces were found under the choir of an age-old building dating back to the XII century with a three nave layout …

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Churches and shrines
Festa Madonna delle Nevi al Santuario di Cuney

Shrine of Madonna delle Nevi in Cuney

Nus

Situated 2,656 metres above sea level, at the foot of the Becca del Merlo, Cuney is Europe’s highest shrine.Before it was built, the site was often visited due to the presence of a blessed source: the inhabitants of Saint-Barthélemy and Nus used to go …

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Churches and shrines
Chiesa di Sant'Agostino - Ollomont

Parish church of Sant'Agostino

Ollomont

The church overlooks a square in the centre of the chief town. It originally only had one nave, to which the two side naves were added in 1868. The style is baroque and it develops upwards, which is an unusual characteristic for a mountain church ( …

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Churches and shrines
Chiesa di San Michele - Oyace

Parish church of San Michele

Oyace

The interior of this church has curious frescos on eternit dating from 1914, they are the work of the painter Margotti. One of these shows the multiplication of the loaves, with Christ sitting in the area of Oyace called s-Ile. The main altar of the …

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Churches and shrines
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Chapel of San Rocco

Perloz

In the main village of Perloz, this 17th century chapel is dedicated to San Rocco who, in artistic iconography, usually presents the shell and pilgrim’s stick as distinctive elements and is thus represented in the central fresco on the facade. Inside, …

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Churches and shrines
interior of the chapel - Plan-de-Brun

Chapel of th Holy Trinity

Perloz

Nel villaggio di Plan-De-Brun, al lato della antica mulattiera che sale al borgo di Perloz e lungo l’itinerario escursionistico Cammino Balteo, si affaccia la cappella dedicata alla Santissima Trinità che pare esistesse già nel XVIII secolo come risulta …

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Churches and shrines
Church of St. Joseph - Tour d'Héréraz

Church of St. Joseph

Perloz

Looking at the church dedicated to Saint Joseph, in the village of Tour d’Héréraz, the medieval tower stands out, which today is its bell tower. At that time, many travelers passed the waters of the Lys stream over the nearby Pont Moretta bridge, located …

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Churches and shrines
parish church of Perloz

Parish Church of Santissimo Salvatore

Perloz

In the past Salvador’s Church held a very important role because the parish of Perloz covered the entire Lys valley. Later, from the end of 1100, independent parishes were established in the surrounding areas. It is not known exactly when it was built, …

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Churches and shrines
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Shrine of Madonna della Guardia

Perloz

The first construction of the shrine seems to date back to the 12th century, given the casual finding of a statue of the Madonna, according to tradition, which was probably hidden during the era of the barbaric invasions. It was extended between 1715 and …

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