• 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
The façade

Saint Roch chapel

Emarèse

The church is located at the entrance to Erésaz hamlet. The original chapel dedicated to Saint Roch was presumably built in the early years of the 18th century, because the first document mentioning it dates back to a pastoral visit of 1713. Under the …

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Churches and shrines
Cappella del Kiry - Fontainemore

Chapels

Fontainemore

The area of Fontainemore is home to eleven chapels, build by the “macons” (builders) in each village as a symbol of autonomy in each district. The frescoed chapels are Madonna della Neve Chapel in the Niana district, the San Francesco di Sales Chapel in …

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Churches and shrines
the church and the bridge seen from above

Parish church of Sant'Antonio Abate

Fontainemore

It was built in 1494 in the place of an old chapel and rebuilt in 1679, after the building was destroyed by a landslide. A Latin inscription which was sculpted in Gothic style characters on the stone of a window, which was once part of the Church and is …

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Churches and shrines
Gignod church - facade

Parish Church of Sant'Ilario

Gignod

The church dominates from an elevated position in the centre of town. The parish of Gignod is mentioned in a Papal Bull by Alexander III from 1176. The current church appears to date no earlier than the XV century. Not only the architectural structure …

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Churches and shrines
In summer

Church of Sainte-Marie-Magdeleine

Gressan

The church of Sainte-Marie-Magdeleine, better known as “La Magdeleine Chapel” was built in the XII century. From the XIV to the XVI century the parish of La Magdeleine lived through great political and economical prosperity. In those centuries, the …

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Churches and shrines
Parish church of San Giorgio

Parish church of San Giorgio

Hône

The parish church dedicated to St. George boasts ancient origins: it was in fact already mentioned in a Papal Bull by Alexander III in 1176. The building was rebuilt during the early decades of the XVIII century and in 1742 the Gilardi brothers created …

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Churches and shrines
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Chapel of Saint-Suaire

Issogne

This chapel is situated near the bridge that links Issogne to Verrès and it was built by the count Renato of Challant who, as the representative of the House of Savoy in Chambéry, was the custodian of the Holy Shroud prior to its transferral to Turin. …

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Churches and shrines
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Saint-SolutorChapel

Issogne

Saint-Solutor Chapel on an external wall has a series of hanging arches that allow us to date it back to the 12th century, the facade has frescoes attributed to the same painter of the church of San Martino of Arnad and which date back to 1427. The …

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Churches and shrines
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Chapel of Ecours

La Salle

Dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, it is mentioned for the first time in a document dated 1330. The facade is completely frescoed with images of Saint Christopher holding the Infant Jesus and Saint John the Baptist and the adoration of the …

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Churches and shrines
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Charvaz Chapel

La Salle

Dated 1621, its facade (unfortunately in very poor condition) is completely frescoed with a representation of the Universal Judgement, it is dedicated to Saint Leonard - celebrated on the 6th of November - and to Saint Gratus. The bell tower has two …

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