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of the fortification with those of the noble resi- narrow paths that pass between the houses.
Valle d’Aosta dence. Externally it’s one of the greatest exam- Along the climb, there are the Castles of Verres
and Graines, clinging to steep heights. Visit to
ples of medieval military architecture, with tow-
among valleys and castles ers and crenellated walls. Inside there is a refined the village of Antagnod, among wooden huts
fifteenth-century residence.
with sharp roofs, picturesque cottages and roads
4 days Visit to the small mountain distillery “La Val- surrounded by low fences, the Church of Saint
Martin de Tours stands out with its rich baroque
dotaine”, with its historical and monumental ale
mbic. altar and... superb views of the glaciers of Mon-
1st Day: Fort of Bard and Issogne Castle te Rosa. Return from the panoramic alpine pass
Bard is immediately recognizable by the fairy-tale Curiositiy: the alpine herbs that grow at altitudes Col de Joux and descent with a stop at the old
fortress that dominates the village from above, close to the perennial glaciers, preserve, in addi- Romanesque church of Moron. Short visit to the
situated near a gorge at the point where the Dora tion to their well-known therapeutic properties, small town of Saint-Vincent.
Baltea valley touches its narrowest point. Bard, the particular essences (artemisia glacialis and
the smallest village in the Aosta Valley, is home artemisia weber) of a typical Valle d’Aosta distil- Curiosity: Saint-Vincent has been frequented as
to just over 130 people and is one of the most late: génépy, whose greenish yellow appearance a spa resort since the 19th century when it also
beautiful villages in Italy. Climb to the Fort with and full, bitterish taste derive precisely from welcomed illustrious personalities such as Giosué
panoramic lifts, retracing the famous Napoleon- these essences, harvested sparingly and then se- Carducci and Silvio Pellico. Its waters, discovered
ic siege. The Fort has housed not only Napoleon lected and dried with meticulous care. by Jean-Baptiste Perret in 1770, have beneficial
but also Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour, within effects on the skin and healing properties for the
its mighty medieval walls. Today it is the home 3rd Day: Cogne liver, stomach and intestinal disorders. Business Proposals in Aosta Valley
of a very interesting Museum of the Alps where, Near the village of Pont d’Ael, located on the right Transfer to Ussel Castle, on the opposite side of
thanks to modern audiovisual technologies, the of the road from Aymavilles to Cogne, stands the the valley, on an impressive and steep promonto-
Alps are described in all their physical, geological, Pondel Roman aqueduct bridge over the Grand- ry. Ussel Castle represents a turning point in the
naturalistic, geographical and climatic aspects. A Eyvia stream. It’s a magnificent work of masonry military architecture of Valle d’Aosta, in fact we
second part covers themes related to the moun- and cutting stone blocks, about 56 m. high and are in the presence of the first example in Valle
tain population, from prehistory to the present more than 50 m. long. The restoration and en- d’Aosta of a Monobloc castle, the last evolution-
day, showing the cultural adaptations and strat- hancement works now allow an exciting ring- ary phase of the medieval castle, which marks
egies that man has adopted to live in a hostile route with a passage over the bridge going back the passage between the contemporary castle
environment. After lunch, a visit to the Issogne to the original sense of water flow and return of Fénis and the rigid forms of Verrès. The cas-
Castle, miraculously preserved, which is one of with an internal passage of 50 m. on glass plates tle was used as a prison, until it was completely
the masterpieces of the Valdostan Middle Ages. that allow you to appreciate the impressive work. abandoned.
Entering the palace you will find yourself in the The site is accessible with difficulty to disabled
courtyard, surrounded by buildings on whose people due to the presence of architectural bar- Curiosity: in 1983 Baron Marcel Bich, after having
walls are portrayed the coats of arms of the Chal- riers. Proceed to Valnontey, in the heart of the bought the castle from the Passerin d’Entrèves
lant family, passing by the pomegranate fountain Gran Paradiso National Park with a visit to the family, donated it to the Autonomous Region of
you continue towards the hallway decorated Paradisia Alpine Botanical Garden. Easy hike in Valle d’Aosta, which renovated it. Marcel Bich,
with precious fanlights. Visit the interior of the the valley bottom, at the foot of the Gran Parad- whose family was originally from Valtournenche,
castle: the dining room, the kitchen and the ba- iso glaciers, to discover the alpine environment was a famous French industrialist with inborn
ronial room, the walls frescoed with landscapes, in search of ibexes, chamois and marmots, trying business instinct: after having bought the patent
hunting scenes and the Judgement of Paris; on to see some eagles flying. Proceed to Lillaz for a of the ballpoint pen from his inventor Birò, he im-
the 1st floor, the chapel, with its vaulted ceil- short walk to the famous Lillaz waterfalls which, proved it and spread it all over the world under
ings, frescoes on the walls and the Gothic altar with three water falls of the Urtier torrent for the name of BIC. Its link with the land of origin
in carved and gilded wood; on the 2nd floor, a total of 150 metres in height, is unique. Visit has allowed us today to appreciate one of the
the room known as the “King of France’s room”, to the village of Cogne, a beautiful alpine vil- jewels of the millenary history of Valle d’Aosta,
with its coffered ceiling decorated with lilies. lage, with shops and the the interesting atelier restored in all its glory.
Stop in Arnad, a centuries-old mountain village of hand-making lace, a traditional production of
where ancient secrets have been handed down Cogne. Visit to the parish church, tour of the vil- Cogne
from generation to generation, for a visit to the lage and inevitable photo of the iron fountain of
sausage factory and tasting of the Lardo di Ar- 1800, classic postcard of Cogne.
nad. Curiosity: Crema di Cogne is a typical Valdostan
Curiosity: On the last weekend of August the fa- dessert, a delight for the palate, which melts
mous “Valle d’Aosta Lard d’Arnad D.O.P.” festival in the mouth leaving a wonderful taste of the
is celebrated in Arnad, a tradition that has been mountains, including chocolate, cream and al-
repeated for almost 50 years and that attracts monds. What is the perfect wine to accompany
tens of thousands of tourists every year. this delicacy? The experts from Valle d’Aosta
recommend the Chambave Muscat, to be drunk
2nd Day: Aosta and Fénis very fresh.
Visit to the historical pedestrian center of Rome
in the Alps, Aosta, with the main roman and me- 4th Day: Val d’Ayas
dieval remains: Augustus Arch, Collegiate Church From Verres, up the Val d’Ayas, a beautiful val-
and Cloister of Sant’Orso, Porta Praetoria, Roman ley situated below Monte Rosa, full of Wal- 103
Theatre, Cryptoportico Forense, Town Hall, Hotel ser villages with traditional wooden houses.
des Etats. Curiosity: The Walser ( a native of the canton
Valais) are a population of Germanic origin who
Curiosity: the smallest region of Italy has a par- live in the Alpine regions around the Monte Rosa
ticular linguistic identity: most of the inhabitants massif. They call their language “Titsch”, a term
are bilingual, that is, in addition to italian, they related to the Italian word “ tedesco” (German).
also speak patois, a dialect derived from Fran- The Walser villages in Val d’Aosta are very small
co-Provençal. Patois is a language very close to groups of a few isolated houses on steep slopes.
french. It is even taught in schools and used, to- They are impressive for their beauty: old stone
gether with italian, in official documents. Moving and wooden houses, covered in the upper part
to Fenis and walking up to the fourteenth-centu- by trellises designed to dry the hay and often
ry castle: placed on a part of the territory without decorated with colourful flowers; fountains with
natural barriers, it combines the characteristics large basins; outdoor ovens, dry stone walls and
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