• 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 Cassian parish church

La Salle

The first documents relative to this church are the deeds of the pastoral visits of 1413 and 1416, but it may obviously be older than this. There are no remaining traces of the fifteenth century building, given that the church was rebuilt entirely in 1846 …

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Churches and shrines
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Sant'Orso church in Derby

La Salle

The primitive church of the village of Derby most likely dates back to the 11th / 12th century, while the belltower is said to date back to the 13th century. The current church has been erected in the 16th century and consecrated by Monsignor Ferragata, …

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Churches and shrines
Chiesa di San Rocco - Lillianes

Parish church of Saint Roch

Lillianes

Built on the foundations of an old chapel dating back to 1490, the new Parish Chruch of Saint Roch was completed in 1723. The interior of the parish church is quite large, it has three naves, separated by two rows of stone pillars. The main altar is …

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Churches and shrines
church of Morgex

Parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Morgex

Considering the title “plébain”, which is traditionally attributed to the parish priest, it is believed that the parish of Morgex is one of the oldest of the upper Aosta Valley. This hypothesis was confirmed by the archaeological digs which brought to …

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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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Churches and shrines
Chiesa di San Grato - Pontboset

Parish church of San Grato

Pontboset

The original church was built between 1622 and 1624, therefore shortly before the foundation of the parish (1625), but it was then rebuilt in 1843-44, working on the plans and under the management of the architect Pacifique Dallou of Donnas. In 1910, the …

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Churches and shrines
church of San Vittore - Roisan

Parish Church of San Vittore

Roisan

Location: dominates the town from an elevated position.History: the church dates back to the XV century. The bell-tower was probably built on a pre-existing tower.Interesting details: the facade represents St. Victor, a Roman soldier and martyr of the …

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Churches and shrines
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Moron Church

Saint-Vincent

Situated in the town of Moron, on the Saint-Vincent hillside.Its current structure, with a large circular apse, dates back to the XV century, when important changes were made to a probable, pre-existing Romanesque building. For some time it conserved …

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Churches and shrines
The imposing building

Parish church of San Vincenzo

Saint-Vincent

Built by the Benedictines in the XI century in Romanesque style, the church was subject to multiple architectures one over the another, but also some significant modern restoration (1968 - 1972).It is located on the structures of a Roman building, …

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Churches and shrines
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Parish church of San Martino and Santa Barbara

Verrayes

The first historical document that mentions the parish of Verrayes is a Papal Bull by Pope Lucius III dated 7 May 1187, where the parishes depending on the collegiate of Sant’Orso in Aosta are listed. The current church of Verrayes was built at the end …

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