Inclusive experiences for visually impaired and blind people in the Aosta Valley

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One of the most interesting prehistoric archaeological sites in Europe but also a place where history has continued to leave evidence even in subsequent centuries. Come to Aosta and take advantage of the museum's initiatives and guided tours and discover all the technological innovations of the recent museum setup.  12,000 square metres of exhibition space, over 2,000 objects, and inside the largest covered archaeological site in Europe.

The archaeological site

The area, brought to light in 1969, measures approximately one hectare, and is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Europe, offering a fascinating overview of significant moments stretching across almost 5000 years of history, from the late Stone Age up to the present.

The term megalithic area has been used as a summary description of the finds in Aosta, which has currently no equal, and can only be compared - albeit partially - with the site at Sion, Petit-Chasseur, in Switzerland.

“Megalithic area” refers to a portion of land of a certain, clearly defined size, featuring a variety of different megalithic monuments.
This site is more than just a simple line-up of menhirs or standing stones featuring human figures, or a burial ground, or a series of individual dolmen tombs: these finds demonstrate the existence of a sacred area destined from its origins to hosting recurring activities linked to worship and burial.

Five structural phases have been identified, from the Recent Neolithic (end of the 5th millennium B.C.) through the Copper Age (4th - 3rd millennium B.C.) to the Bronze Age (2nd millennium B.C.).

Initially conceived as an open-air sanctuary destined for the cult of the living, it was not until the latter centuries of the 3rd millennium that it became an important burial ground, with monumental tombs of a variety of megalithic types.

In chronological order, visitors can observe: traces of a propitiatory furrow ritually sown (end of the 5th millennium B.C.), followed by the creation of a line of wells, at the bottom of which are ritual offerings such a millstones, along with the remains of fruit and cereals.

From a later point in time (beginning of the 3rd millennium B.C.) was a line of at least 24 wooden totem poles facing from North East to South West, later replaced by 46 huge anthropomorphic steles, the first authentic manifestation of in this area of megalithism, magnificent masterworks of prehistoric statue construction.

The area took on a clear burial function with the construction of the first megalithic tombs, which were probably occupied by distinguished families from the community and were built entirely above ground. A particularly significant example is the so-called “Tomb 2”, erected on a distinctive triangular platform of stones, used for almost a thousand years as a collective tomb and containing the remains of 39 individuals.

The museum

Visiting the museum implies a trip back from the present day into the prehistorical age: along a route dotted with images referring to human history, the walkways that set out from the entrance to the museum take visitors down to the level of the actual archaeological site (about 6 metres below road level).

The view here is striking as visitors explore the dimensions of time, the tones of the light colour the environment that envelops the archaeological finds: the dolmen, the standing stones brought down, the platform, the traces of the grooves ploughed…

The visitor route constantly looks out onto the archaeological site, in a sort of on-going dialogue between the indoors (the museum) and the outdoors (the site). Explanations, further details and interpretations can be found on the learning and multimedia supports.

Not to be missed:

• the suggestive ramp of time enriched by three-dimensional elements
• the astonishing Immersive room
• the large hall of steles where you can admire 46 anthropomorphic stelae found on the site
• The section dedicated to Protohistory which illustrates the great changes that occurred in the area at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, when the agricultural function took over the funerary one: numerous human footprints can be observed imprinted in the plowed land found on the occasion of the most recent archaeological excavations. Furthermore, in this space you can appreciate the large funerary mound from the Iron Age (1st millennium BC) with its original walking surface
• on the upper floor the protagonist is the Roman era divided into two sections: one dedicated to daily life in a rustic environment, and the other to the necropolises excavated over the years along the road, below the parish church and the nursery school; here there are 20 tombs characterized by very rich grave goods, as well as very different funerary practices and rituals in terms of chronology and typology
•  the medieval section concludes the visit itinerary by presenting evidence relating to the small Romanesque church of Saint Martin.

There is also an area dedicated to temporary exhibitions and a conference room.

The MAR-Regional Archaeological Museum, until the new rearrangement, becomes META/MAR Cantiere Museale Partecipato

Site included in the Aosta archeologica cumulative ticket

The Regional Archaeological Museum has a thematic and chronological itinerary.

In the first hall, dedicated to the abbot Justin Boson, first director of the Regio Museo in 1929, are exhibited tiles and north-african oil lamps coming from regional collections.
On the trail of the commercial and cultural axes of the areas of Mesopotamia and Anatolia, as well as following the transmission of megalithic monuments’ models, the exhibition includes some anthropomorphic steles discovered at the extraordinary archaeological site of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans, while in the show-cases are exposed artifacts found in Aosta Valley and dating back to the period going from the Mesolithic to the Salassi era.

Further on, the visit enters the wide space dedicated to Romanization, starting with the model of Augusta Praetoria and the milestone of Constantine, in the past positioned along the Road to Gauls. The two following rooms are reserved to the burial rituals and present some grave goods, together with a reconstruction of a funeral bed found in an incineration tomb in the necropolis of Saint Roch, at the eastern entrance of the roman city. The areas consecrated to the funeral epigraphs and local cults show various pieces, including the famous bronze balteus (belt) with battle scenes between Barbarian and Roman and the silver bust of Jupiter Dolichenus found at the Little St. Bernard Pass with other ritual objects. Public building works are depicted in a collection of prints with the main Aostan monuments, together with fragments of sculptures and frescoes, while everyday life is represented in table and cooking ornaments disposed in the reconstruction of a thermopolium (public place used to serve food and drinks). The roman section ends with the exhibition of personal ornaments and objects related to luxury and well-being.

The Christian-Medieval epoch is represented by the precious 8th-century pulpit found during excavations at Aosta Cathedral and some grave goods from the 4th to the 14th century, including gold decorated glasses and the knight’s sword coming from the Collegiate Church of Sant’Orso.

In the basement area of the Regional Archaeological Museum are conserved the remains of the south-eastern edge of the eastern tower of the Porta Principalis Sinistra, one of the four city gates of Augusta Praetoria, with the Roman levels and the only section of embankment, with the relative counterscarp, still resting on a part of the Roman walls.

The museum finally houses the prestigious “Pautasso” numismatic collection, with coins from the Greek era to the Savoy period. To notice the collection of Celtic, Gallic and Padanian coins.

The hall of the Carugo Collection exhibits findings of Etruscan civilization, of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The Bard fortress houses four interesting museums and hosts important temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

You can access the top of the fortress by following the pedestrian path, which runs between mighty walls starting from the interesting medieval village next to the car park, or you can use the panoramic lifts through which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding valley and the medieval village.

Remaining almost intact since its construction, the Bard fort represents one of the best examples of a barrier fortress from the early nineteenth century.

The fortress is made up of three main buildings: starting from the bottom are the Opera Ferdinando, the middle building, - Opera Vittorio - up to the top of the relief, where the Opera Carlo Alberto stands. The latter is the most imposing of the three works, which encloses within it the large quadrangular courtyard of the Piazza d'Armi, surrounded by a large portico, where the spaces dedicated to temporary exhibitions are located.

History of the Fort

Already during Theodoric’s reign (early 6th century A.D), sixty armed soldiers were garrisoned to defend the “Clausuræ Augustanæ” (a defence system set up to protect the borders of the Empire) in Bard.
In 1034, it was described as “inexpugnabile oppidum”, in one of the oldest references to a castle in Valle d’Aosta. The Savoys became the Lords of Bard in 1242, with Amadeus IV, driven by the insistence of the local inhabitants, who were tired of the abuse of power by Hugh of Bard, who exploited the position of his castle to levy heavy duties on travellers and merchants.
From that time on, the castle was always controlled by the Savoys, who held a garrison there. In 1661, the armies from other fortresses in Aosta Valley, including Verrès and Montjovet, converged in Bard.

The castle took on renewed importance with the passage of the French army in 1704 and particularly in May 1800 on the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte, who found a garrison of 400 Austrian men within the fortress. The defence structures of the fortress were so efficient that Napoleon’s army took about two weeks to overcome the Austrian defences, eventually succeeding thanks to cunning tactics. The fortress was then dismantled by Napoleon, to avoid further problems.
The current appearance of the fort is the result of reconstruction work commissioned by Carlo Felice, at the height of the Restoration, which, from 1830 onwards, turned it into one of the largest military structures in the Aosta Valley. At the end of the 19th century the fort began to decline, first used as a penal colony and then as a weapons depot. Decommissioned in 1975 by the military, it was acquired by the Aosta Valley region in 1990 and completely renovated in 2006.

The Museum of the Alps

Located on the first floor of the Opera Carlo Alberto, the Museum of the Alps is an interactive space through which the visitor can travel to discover the Alpine world, exploring with the five senses a mountain experienced and transformed by the hand of man. The rooms of the exhibition route are divided into four sections, which address the mountain from a naturalistic, geographical, anthropological and meteorological point of view, involving guests of all ages, thanks to the fusion between tradition and new technologies.

The Alps of the kids

The Museum The Alps for Kids, housed within the Opera Vittorio at the Forte di Bard, is an immersive journey into the heart of the Alps, designed for schools, families and nature enthusiasts. It is a path that invites reflection on climate change and its effects on alpine ecosystems: glacier retreat, diminished snow cover, rising temperatures and the transformations these bring.
From the moment you enter, a large geodesic tent welcomes visitors in an immersive atmosphere of sounds, images and lights: here one receives the first “coordinates” to begin exploration. The path then unfolds through different halls, each dedicated to one of the four symbolic peaks of the Aosta Valley - Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc - and their glacial zones.

The Prisons

The narrow cells where prisoners were locked up now host a historical itinerary that leads to the discovery of the history of the military site, a strategic transit point for centuries. Through films, documents and high-impact 3D reconstructions, you can discover the architectural evolution of the fortress and the historical figures who have marked its main events: from the year 1000 to its reconstruction in 1830, up to the present day.

Museum of Fortifications and Borders

Located in the Opera Ferdinando, on the first level of the fortress, the museum takes visitors on a journey through the evolution of defensive techniques and borders. Through models, films and authentic weapons, you can discover how fortresses have transformed from Roman times to the twentieth century. A special section invites you to reflect on the concept of frontier, offering a look at the role of the Bard Fort in the historical and geopolitical context of various eras.

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The castle
Built at the beginning of the 1900s following the plans of the engineer Carlo Saroldi, it was commissioned by Charles Maurice Gamba, husband of Angélique d‘Entrèves, daughter of Count Christin d‘Entrèves. Since 1982 it has become property of the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region.

The contemporary and modern art collection
After a complex restoration work, today the castle houses an exhibition route distributed through 13 rooms, with over 150 works of art such as paintings, sculptures, installations, drawings and photographs belonging to a regional collection dating back from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day.
Beside the works of the maestros of the 20th century, including the sculptures of Martini, Mastroianni, Manzù, Arnaldo and Giò Pomodoro, and paintings by Casorati, De Pisis, Carrà and Guttuso, the collection documents Italian figurative art production from the second half of the century up to contemporary research exponents, such as Schifano, Baruchello, Rama and Mainolfi.
A vast and varied selection of works testifies to the movements that have animated the Italian art scene over the past 25 years: for example, the exhibition hosts representations of informal art, geometric abstraction, transavantgarde and pop art. Particular importance is given to the Aosta Valley region through the activity of local artists, or those active in the Valley, on regional commission.

For visitors seeking both learning and distraction, the exhibition offers a series of services designed to bring different categories of visitors (families, adults, schools, children, young people) closer to modern and contemporary art through workshop activities, guided tours and events.

The park
The castle is surrounded by an english park, which stretches over a total area of 54.000 square metres, and which hosts about 150 trees of different species. Inside there are three monumental trees: the geant Sequoia from California, the Bald cypress and the Honey Locust.

How to get here

From Aosta by public transport:

Bus 110 – Aosta – Pont-Saint-Martin, running every day, bus stop ‘Châtillon – Chameran Bivio’. Timetable available on aosta.arriva.it. Continue on foot for about 10 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.

Part of the trail to the Lillaz waterfalls is an “accessible” path leading to the bottom of the first leap. Also right for the disabled, particularly those with moving difficulties (accompaniment and wheelchairs with wheels suitable for uneven terrain are recommended) and blind people.

The first section of the trail also includes a geological park that shows a logical sequence of large blocks of rock explaining the geological structure of the Cogne valley.

The geological trail is equipped for the blind with explanatory panels in Braille.

The MAV is a museum devoted to traditional Valle d’Aosta craftsmanship.

The traditional craftsmanship of Valle d’Aosta carries within it a wealth of symbols, knowledge, identity values and extraordinary creative processes of which the objects created are the custodians.
Inaugurated in Fénis in 2009, this year, 2022, the museum has a renewed exhibition itinerary that takes visitors on an ideal journey which starts from memory and then continues with matter, form, gesture and beauty.

The first section presents the exhibition of the entire Brocherel Collection whose objects are told as producers of memory.
The second room, devoted to matter, instead investigates the close relationship between the territory and craftsmanship, between that craftsmanship and the matter it shapes.
The path then continues on with form, that which shapes objects in the encounter between craftsmanship and matter, and gesture, that is the pure manual skills of which the artisans are bearers, a unique intangible heritage of knowledge, without which there would be no object.
The new exhibition ends with a look at the avant-garde, at the ability of creation to go beyond its own time, and at beauty, as an individual, objective or social aesthetic judgment of a set of objects.

Agreement between the castle of Fenis and the MAV:
from 1 August the Museum ticket can be purchased at the price of € 2.00, in combination with the castle ticket, at the castle ticket office, the tourist offices or at the MIDA ticket office and is valid only on the day of issue.

*In order to keep up to date with all the initiatives and activities of the MAV, visit the web site indicated in the “Contacts” section.

*In order to learn more about craftmanship in Valle d’Aosta “read more”: /it/cultura/tradizione/artigianato

Walking barefoot is good for your health: it produces a pleasant plantar massage, strengthens the leg muscles and promotes blood circulation. Furthermore, contact with the ground and with the elements of nature induces healthy relaxation and is a very fun activity for children!

The barefooting path, located near the vast sports area of Morgex, has a length of about 600 meters and offers a sensory experience that mainly involves touch but also the other senses.

It is based on the barefoot exploration of the elements present in nature, stimulating the sensory capacities of people during the walk.
The experience varies according to the various materials that have been placed on the ground: stone, wood, grass, moss, mud, water and sand and other elements that differ according to the seasons such as flower petals, larch needles, pine cones.

The path is equipped with a series of interactive stations that amplify the sensory experience and allow you to refine not only touch, but also smell and hearing.

The type of track, the particular technical features and the preparation of some signs in the Braille alphabet mean that even blind or visually impaired people can have this experience and try the route.

The Morgex Reading Park is a welcoming green area for visitors of all ages.

It is open all year round during the day with free access (possible closures in winter due to ice or snow).

• A playground with two areas dedicated to events and small shows
• A park for reading, on the comfortable benches along the river or in the middle of a flowery meadow, a book brought from home or found in the book-crossing areas of the Park and of the village of Morgex.
• A park to observe: from here you can admire Mont Blanc and the imposing chain of mountains that surround it, but also the Dora Baltea, which runs alongside the park. The careful selection of botanical species and the suggestive flower garden ensure a pleasant immersion in the greenery.
• A park for the memory: the paths of the Park follow the layout of the old tracks used for the goods yard and for the maneuvering of the wagons on the "Aosta - Pré-Saint-Didier" railway line, built in the late 1920s to favor the exploitation of the mines of Arpy and La Thuile. The historic Morgex station is still clearly visible from the park. The bridge, at the southern entrance to the Park and on which an original square on the water was built, once served as a link between the mining material processing factory (now the Mont Blanc mineral water plant) and the station itself. A new, fully accessible train welcomes visitors at the east entrance.
• An accessible park: all the paths are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. All game keywords are available in Braille.

From the centre of Saint-Nicolas, where you can park the car, walk until the church.
After a short stretch on paved road, take the path on right called Bois de la Tour. In this wood you can find an educational path, called “the itinerary of the trees” equipped for visually impaired people. The round trip gets deeply in the woods of larches, firs and birches.
In the surroundings you can find the equipped pic-nic area, the parish church and the Belvedere, a panoramic point in La Cure hamlet with a view on the central Aosta Valley and on peaks as the Grivola, Gran Nomenon, Mont Emilius and Becca del Merlo.

The chapel lies on a panoramic promontory to the west of the Marseiller hamlet.
Built during the first half of the XV century and consecrated on 4th May 1441, this chapel is one of the oldest in the municipality of Verrayes. It was commissioned by the Saluard family, coming from the French region of Tarentaise, who served the Seigneurs of Cly.

The frescoes decorating its entire walls were realised by the painter Giacomino d’Ivrea, a well-known artist of the epoch who painted many other churches in the Aosta Valley. In 1845, when some extension works were done, the frescoes were almost completely covered.

Thanks to some subsequent restoration works the majority of the original paintings were finally restored. They represent some of the most meaningful episodes of the Christianity, such as the Last Judgement, the Adoration of the Kings, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Flight into Egypt and Saint Michael Weighing Souls.
Close to the entrance there is a representation of the notary Saluard together with his wife and, in the door opening, a peasant with some tools in his hands.

Visit the chapel by booking with the “Open door churches” app: once you have downloaded the app you must register. When on site at the selected time, just frame a QR code to open the chapel door and to start the “narrator voice”, combined with a lighting system of the artistic details. At the end of the visit, the door closes automatically.

• Download the app for IOS
• Download the app for Android

See the 360° image of the interior here