Maison de l’Alpage

The intent of the permanent exhibition of the Maison de l’Alpage de la Vallée d’Aoste is to provide an overview of mountain pastures, analyzing their various aspects: entrepreneurship, modernity, multifunctionality, know-how, the time honored pastoral culture, the eco-sustainability of the Aosta Valley system based on the minimal use of equipment and heavy machinery.

The museum

The main hall develops the following topics with interviews, videos, in-depth information areas, photographs and panels:

• the pasture concept: architecture, etymology and activities;
• geography: verticality, ecosystem, and the differences between adret and envers;
• flora of the valleys: grassland management (hay, fresh grass), availability, altitude characteristics and the various seasonal phases that make the most of the vertical distribution of resources;
• Aosta Valley cow: history, evolution, types, characteristics of the typical breeds;
• industrial production: the modern “grass to cheese” process and its environmentally sustainable aspect through the use of advanced equipment with little impact on the environment.

The ground floor
Set in the original rascard stables are an audio-visual salon that shows clips about agricultural activities, grazing, and the milk transformation process, and an educational salon featuring hands-on agriculture lessons (milking, listening to the sounds of the barn, observing the milk transformation process).