11 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Aosta

Checkout places to visit in Aosta

Aosta

The Aosta Valley is a mountainous autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, to the west, Valais, Switzerland, to the north, and by Piedmont, Italy, to the south and east. The regional capital is Aosta.

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Aosta

Castel Savoia

Castel Savoia(Savoy Castle) is a historic residence located in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Italy. It is a three-storey eclectic villa characterized by the presence of five towers. The grounds of the castle house the alpine botanical garden "Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden".

Castello di Ussel

The Ussel castle is one of the castles medieval of Valle d'Aosta. It is located on top of a rocky ridge overlooking the village of Châtillon, in a position that guarantees control of the entrance to the Valtournenche and the valley floor of the Dora Baltea. The castle rises on a serpentinite rock, separated from the rest of the mountain by the "Aosta- Ranzola " fault worked over the centuries by the Pleistocene glacier.

Castle of Baron Gamba

The Gamba castle, from the historical point of view, is the castle "child" of the three in the municipality of Châtillon, in Valle d'Aosta: what Passerin d'Entrèves and to Ussel is in fact medieval era. The Gamba castle, dating back to the twentieth century, is located on a hillock in the western part of the town, in the locality of Cret-de-Breil, near the regional hotel school, and is completely surrounded by a park open to the public all year round. It is clearly visible from the A5 motorway.

Castle of Saint-Pierre

The castle of Saint-Pierre is an Aosta Valley manor, located in the municipality of the same name. Due to its very scenic appearance, it has become, together with the castle of Fénis, one of the symbolic monuments of the region. It houses the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences of the Aosta Valley. It is one of the oldest in the Aosta Valley and its existence is mentioned for the first time in a document dated 1191.

Castle Sarriod de La Tour

The Sarriod de La Tour castle is a medieval Aosta Valley manor located in the municipality of Saint-Pierre, in the flat area planted with orchards that run along the Dora Baltea and the SS26, on the opposite side of the village from the more famous castle of Saint-Pierre. Looking at it from the top of the Saint-Pierre castle, the Sarriod de La Tour castle appears as an irregular set of buildings surrounded by walls, located in a flat area a little outside the town and close to the Dora Baltea.

Fenis Castle

The castle of Fénis, located in the homonymous municipality, is one of the most famous medieval manors in the Aosta Valley. Known for its scenographic architecture, with the double crenelated walls that enclose the central building and the numerous towers, the castle is one of the major tourist attractions of the Valley and one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Italy.

Gnifetti Hut

The Giovanni Gnifetti hut is a refuge located in the municipality of Gressoney-La-Trinité, on the Valle d'Aosta side of Monte Rosa, in the Pennine Alps, at 3647 m asl. The refuge has 176 beds and is open, with overnight stay and restaurant service, from Easter to September. As long as there was the Bocchetta delle Pisse - Punta Indren cable car, hikers preferred to use this ski lift to avoid the Stolemberg section, which extended the excursion by about 2 hours.

Issogne Castle

The Sundial House is one of the most famous castles in the Valle d'Aosta. It is located in the capital of Issogne, on the hydrographic right of the Dora Baltea, and appears as a Renaissance stately home, creating a sort of contrast with the austere castle of Verrès which is almost opposite the opposite side of the river. Famous are its inner courtyard, with the fountain of the pomegranate and the colorful arcades, a rare example of Alpine painting medieval.

Porta Pretoria

The Porta Pretoria is the eastern gateway to the Roman city of Augusta Prætoria Salassorum. Built-in 25 BC, it is still in an excellent state of conservation and is made up of two series of arches - one major central and two minor lateral ones - which enclose a parade ground. On both arches the walkways of the sentries are visible. It had three openings, which are still visible today: the central one for carriages and the side openings for pedestrians.

Sarre Royal Castle

The royal castle of Sarre is an Aosta Valley castle, located in the municipality of Sarre, in the locality of Lalex, in the Aosta Valley. Built-in 1710 on the ruins of a fortress mentioned as early as 1242, having passed through various hands, the property was purchased by the King of Italy Victor Emanuel II, who renovated it and used it during hunting expeditions in Val d’Aosta. It was one of the iconic buildings in this area which paves light to the history of this area.

Verrès Castle

The castle of Verrès is one of the most famous medieval Aosta Valley manors. Built as a military fortress by Ibleto di Challant in the fourteenth century, it was one of the first examples of a monobloc castle, consisting of a single building unlike the older manors formed by a series of buildings enclosed by a wall. It stands on a rocky promontory that dominates the town of Verrès and the Val d'Ayas road.

Map of Iconic Buildings to explore in Aosta