Ussel Castle
Resort: Châtillon
Summer opening 2026:
- 11 July to 2 August and 5 to 27 September: open Saturdays and Sundays
- 8 August to 30 August: open daily
Guided tours: in the morning at 10.15am - 11.15am and 12.15pm; in the afternoon at 3.00pm - 4.00pm - 5.00pm and 6.00pm
Duration of the visit 45 minutes for groups of maximum 25 people. You can visit the ground floor and the small room of the first floor.
Information and reservations by contacting the references in the “Contact” section.
19, 20, 26 and 27 September 2026, as part of Plaisir de Culture, free entry to the Castle
Full price: €8.00
Reduced: 3,00 € 19-25 years
Free: up to 18 years
The site is not accessible to people with disabilities.
Standing on a marked, rocky promontory, Ussel castle overlooks the south side of the residential area of Châtillon.
Built by Ebalo II of Challant in the mid 14th century (the date is confirmed by dendrochronological analyses), the castle marks a change in Valdostan fortress architecture. Indeed, it is the first single body castle in Val d’Aosta, which was the last evolutionary phase of medieval castles, and marked the passage between the contemporary castle in Fénis and the rigid forms in Verrès.
Having passed on numerous occasions from the Challants to the Savoys and vice versa, the castle then became a prison, until it was abandoned completely. Having bought the castle from the Passerin d’Entrèves family, heirs to the Challants, in 1983 Baron Marcel Bich donated it to the regional authority, which restored it and earmarked it as an exhibition centre.
With a large, rectangular layout, the castle is an example of good masonry that culminates in blind arcades, not present on the north side, and beautiful mullioned windows each different from the next, with floral and geometric decorations. The corners on the south side (facing the mountain) have two round towers, which were originally connected via a walkway, protected by battlements. The south side also has an entrance with an overhead machicolation. The north side, which faces Châtillon, has two four-sided towers, with a slightly projecting watchtower in between, a symbolic element of feudal power. The monumental fireplaces remain, with large shelves placed on the same ascending line, exploiting a single flue, and traces of the stairs and floor divisions.
Before restoration work began, the manor was mostly in ruins; however a precise archaeological assessment enabled identification and reintegration of the missing parts. A picturesque walkway was added along the battlement, where visitors can admire the Châtillon plain and its historic buildings.
How to get here
From Aosta by public transport:
Bus 110 – Aosta – Pont-Saint-Martin, running every day, bus stop ‘Châtillon - Autostazione. Timetable available on aosta.arriva.it. Continue on foot for about 45 minutes towards the castle
or
Trenitalia replacement bus, running every day, from Aosta to Châtillon. Timetable available on trenitalia.it; Continue on foot for about 45 minutes towards the castle.
Bus tickets can be bought at the authorised ticket offices or directly on the bus without any additional fee. Cash or card payments are accepted on the bus.
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