Heritage: Bard, Donnas, Hône, Pontboset, Pont-Saint-Martin, ** Valle d'Aosta **

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Il ''patois''

Traditions  - 

Su tutto il territorio della Valle d’Aosta gli abitanti parlano abitualmente il “patois”, un dialetto francoprovenzale. Esso presenta terminologie e cadenze che variano da Comune a Comune in conseguenza delle influenze francesi, vallesane, walser e piemontesi subite nel corso dei secoli. Il vocalismo della parlata è di tipo provenzale ed il consonantismo è di tipo francese. Le affinità maggiori sono riscontrabili nei dialetti
parlati nelle regioni francesi della Savoia e della Provenza, e nella Svizzera Romanda. Verrès è l’unico dei Comuni in cui non si parla il patois, ma per i suoi contatti con il vicino Canavese, gli abitanti parlano tra di loro il dialetto piemontese. Da alcuni decenni si cerca di mantenere vivo e valorizzare il patois.

Monumental houses of the medieval village of Bard

Architecture  -  Bard

Challant House
Built towards the end of the fifteenth century, it is located in the Medieval village of Bard. The house was home to Count Filiberto di Challand, lord of Bard between 1487 and 1517. It features lancet windows and other pointed windows.

Nicole House
Partially built over the western gate to the Bard village, the building facade preserves signs of bullets shot during the assault on the Bard fortress by Napoleon’s army in May 1800. The building creates a tower whose top is adorned by the chapel’s quatrefoil window. The chapel was frescoed by painter Giovanni Antonio di Biella.

Valperga House
Dating back to the sixteenth century, this house has interesting pointed windows and the remains of pictorial decorations. A twin lancet window and the remains of frescoes that depict ancient coats of arms, including that of the Valperga family, are found at the centre.

Fortress of Bard

Castles and towers  -  Bard

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

Located in the Opera Vittorio, this space dedicated to kids and families brings the mountain closer through scientific workshops on climate change and its impact on glaciers. You can explore the four main peaks of the Aosta Valley – Monte Rosa, Cervino, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc – and compare their glacial evolution through images. The Ice Memory installation raises awareness of the health of the glaciers, explains global warming and promotes sustainable behavior.

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.

    (+39) 0125833811
    info@fortedibard.it

Parish church of the Assumption of Mary

Churches and shrines  -  Bard

The parish of Bard, although it was already mentioned in 1176, was actually always managed by the parish priest of Hône, who regularly went there to celebrate the Mass. Nevertheless, given that the suburb of Bard was often closed and remained isolated even for lengthy periods, and given that the bridge between the two towns was occasionally interrupted due to adverse weather conditions, in the eighteenth century the inhabitants asked for their own parish. On the 24th of January 1775 the Bishop decreed the establishment of the parish of Bard. The church, which was dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, dates back to 1868 and is probably the result of the restoration of a previous one, which was much older, perhaps from around the same time as the beautiful Romanesque bell tower, which dates back to the 12th - 13th centuries.

    0125803972

Chestnut Ecomuseum

Museums  -  Bard

In the ancient times the chestnut was a base component of the peasant diet, especially in mid mountain villages.

In the village of Albard di Bard, to demonstrate the processing of this product a ‘‘grehe’‘ has been set up, a characteristic small two-storey rural building used to dry chestnuts.
In the same building, in the area once used as a deposit, you can see the original equipment for processing chestnuts along with illustrative panels: the hammer to open them, the pincers to extract them from their cases, the sacks of rough hemp to be beaten on a wooden block to remove the shells, which were then eliminated by shaking it with a winnow (’‘lo van’‘, in dialect).

The museum is only open for special events.

    (+39) 0125803134
    info@comune.bard.ao.it

Il Ferdinando. Fortresses and Frontiers Museum

Museums  -  Bard

Located in the Opera Ferdinando on the first level of the Fortress, this museum offers an exciting journey into the evolution of defence techniques, blockade systems and the ‘border’ concept.
The need to provide further historical information and material regarding the site and the Fortress was the starting point of a project that later revealed the need to expand this itinerary of knowledge – both in terms of time and space – to include the configuration of the 19th century Fort into the history of fortification systems in view of the Alps as a physical boundary, obstacle, natural barrier, mobile frontier, territory and a political border where people have lived, crossed, explored, defended and fortified throughout the centuries.

The museum is organised in three separate sections:

  • ”Fortress Museum and Defensive Walls”
  • ”The Fortified Alps (1871-1946)”
  • ”The Alps, a frontier?”

Fortress Museum and Defensive Walls
A tour of this first section outfitted in the Opera Ferdinando Superiore makes it possible for guests to fully experience a series of historical settings furnished with models, film clips and authentic weapons. The narrative development highlights the evolution of forts in the Western Alps through the progression of military weapons and strategies as well as construction materials and techniques from the time of the Romans up to the new architectural and ballistic solutions of the 20th century.
Guests are launched into a different era as they go from room to room thanks to explanatory devices enhanced by original maps and clips of famous film sequences of war scenes such as: Kingdom of Heaven (Ridley Scott, 2005); Masada (Boris Sagal, 1981); The Profession of Arms (Ermanno Olmi, 2001); Alatriste (Augustin Diaz Yanks, 2006); The Last Valley (James Clavell, 1971); Revolution (Hugh Hudson, 1985); The Last of the Mohicans ( Michael Mann, 1992); Glory (Edward Zwick, 1989); Cold Mountain (Anthony Minghella, 2003).

The Fortified Alps (1871-1946)
The second portion of the museum is located in the Opera Ferdinando Inferiore and is dedicated to the transformations that took place between the late 19th and 20th centuries. The Bard Fortress is included in the system of 19th century forts and is presented through scenic reconstructions and scale models for the purpose of the highlighting the most representative traits of forts found throughout the Alps and to showcase these mountains as the very stage for the technological transformation that has made them “the Italian frontier”. A tale of the evolution of fortresses through the progression of weapons (and vice-versa). The change in construction materials and techniques, the gradual thickening of the walls, the placement of forts in areas that had become increasingly dominant as well as the development of strategic methods and architectural solutions. All of this is constantly linked to the offensive ability of the enemy and the possibility of a break through on the part of blockading armies.
The question of militarized mountains is explored in the sections dedicated to the First and Second World Wars and the Resistance, enhanced by the evocative impact provided by a multi-media approach.

The Alps, a frontier?
The third and final section asks a question that puts visitors in the condition of thinking about the itinerary they have just concluded and the true meaning of the term “frontier”: boundary or barrier? Obstacle or bridge?
The exhibit itinerary articulates and conveys a complex and well-structured view of the Bard Fortress as well as a historical, social, cultural and geo-political context that includes perspectives from different historical eras: a journey into the past which ends with an extremely timely reflection upon our own days.
In this way, guests become the main players in the exchange with the place they are visiting. They are on a quest for the identity of the constantly evolving Alps – the crossroads of great events of the past as well as the history of mankind made up of simple actions and memories.

    390125833811
    info@fortedibard.it

Museum of the Alps

Museums  -  Bard

Located on the first floor of the Opera Carlo Alberto , the most important building of the spectacular Bard Fortress compound, the Museum of the Alps is an interactive, multimedia and multidisciplinary journey, an avant-garde museum space telling the story of a living, breathing mountain transformed in the hands of mankind.
The exhibition space consists of twenty-nine rooms divided into four parts, involving the visitor in the discovery of the Alps through short video projections outlining the themes covered in each of the four sections and narrated by four specialists: a naturalist, a geographer, an anthropologist and a meteorologist.
Tradition and modern technology are fused together to take you on a voyage into time and space where the sets are brought alive through visual projections, sounds and interactive multimedia games. A process of discovery in which the visitor becomes the protaganist like the leading character in an exciting novel and is called upon to use all the five senses, offering an extremely enjoyable learning experience that plunges you deep into the alpine culture.

The journey begins with an ascent to the summit, and images of highland scenery. The heart-warming ‘‘mountain symphony’‘ accompanies you around the museum.

Touch the altitude : the introduction is an inviting video installation by artist Armin Linke that creates the visions and sounds of the pastures, tunnels, slopes and high-tech skiers. ‘‘Saliamo in montagna!’‘ (’‘Up we go!’‘) is the invitation in the ‘‘gallery of voices’‘: a kaleidoscope of Alpine languages, welcoming you to the museum.

Listen to the passing seasons : it makes you feel like stroking the legendary Dahu, the animal with two short legs to adapt to the mountain slopes, former evidence of the amazing biodiversity of the alpine environment. Clips, 3D models, short films and touch screens show you the climate, the short highland seasons, the plants and the tenacious inhabitants of the mountains.

Fly like an eagle among the peaks : a 3D video carries the visitor on the breathtaking flight of the eagle from the summit of Mount Blanc, over the picturesque landscape of Val d’Aosta, among glaciers, waterfalls and castles, over the fortress in Bard.

Walk on the Tethys Ocean : the geography room has a spectacular interactive map which takes you on a walk through the Alps; the most famous and spectacular summits are represented in the orogeny room, a journey back in time, among the lava explosions generated by fire and the marine undertows that gave rise to the Dolomites.

Dance in a carnival of voices and colours : the reconstruction of the stable, the parlour, the school and several interactive films tell the story of Alpine civilisation and the culture linked to work, the mill and the mine. Then get involved in a joyful dance celebration at the end of winter, festivals and colourful mountain carnival, ‘‘lanzette’‘ processions - typical Val d’Aosta masks - or in the dances of the ‘‘wild man’‘.

Conquer the summit like a mountain climber : lastly, a journey into the romantic experience of nineteenth-century mountaineers, on the quest for the impenetrable summits, and then a train trip with ski tourists ready to take to the slopes. A multiform mountain to be discovered and experienced with a passion.

A multimedia tale : the voice of a ‘‘witness’‘, the naturalist, the geographers, the anthropologist, the meteorologist relates the theme of 6 sections of the museum from a screen in every room.

A symphony of sounds and colours : video projections and sounds give life to the scenery, reconstructions, multimedia and interactive games to educate, amuse and immerge in Alpine culture. These videos guide visitors through this fascinating exploration.

    (+39) 0125.833811
    info@fortedibard.it

The Children's Alps

Museums  -  Bard

Completely redone in 2023, this space devoted to getting to know the mountains, dedicated to children and families, offers a series of scientific workshops, within the Opera Vittorio, on the topic of climate change and the impact it is having on glaciers throughout the world.

Each room allows the visitor to learn about the four most important peaks in Valle d’ Aosta - Monte Rosa, The Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc - and the conditions of the glacial areas of each one through a series of photographic comparisons. Each room also presents a geological and scientific theme that can be explored in depth via recreational activities and workshops.

The place also hosts the Ice Memory installation with various stations that use augmented reality to talk about the state of health of the glaciers and to involve young people in understanding the dynamics linked to climate warming and to promote the adoption of sustainable behaviour.

The space can be used freely by purchasing an entrance ticket to Fort Bard.

Workshops addressed to schools and groups can be carried out for a fee upon reservation.

 

    (+39) 0125.833811
    prenotazioni@fortedibard.it

The Prisons – permanent exhibition on the Bard Fortress history

Museums  -  Bard

Located within the Carlo Alberto Building , the cramped cells of the Bard fortress in which prisoners were held, house today a history tour that leads visitors on the search for the story behind this military site, a centuries-old strategic transition point. Through films, documents and evocative 3D reconstructions, visitors can familiarise themselves with the architectural development of the fortress and know the individuals who characterised its main historical events from the year 1000, through its reconstruction in 1830, to the present day.
Visitor’s tour
The Prisons are comprised of 24 cells, all extremely small in size (around 1.3 × 2 metres), arranged along four sections and preceded by an entrance gallery which was dedicated to the iconographic representation of the Fort: The atrium screens a film about the complex restoration and reconstruction work performed on the Fort between 1996 and 2006.
From here, the visitor enters four rooms of the first section , where different stations characterised by three-dimensional models represent the Fort’s transformation through the various epochs: Roman, Medieval, 1500s and 1600s, and 1700s. In the subsequent spaces, a film gives voice to those who experienced one of the most important historical episodes in the history of the Fort: the siege of Napoleon’s troops.
In the second section , Napoleon Bonaparte, the French general Berthier, and the Austrian captain Bernkopf, reveal the offensive and defensive strategies of the bitter battle fought in the spring of 1800. The tour is enlivened by projections of drawings from the topographer and painter Pietro Bagetti, and by the writings of Stendhal, privileged witnesses to the Bard history.
The third part of the tour presents the testimony of the captain of the Military Engineering services, Francesco Antonio Olivero, to whom Charles Felix of Savoy had entrusted the reconstruction of the Fort after Napoleon’s passing. Images and documents are projected inside a cell: an 1829 relief of the Fort and a project from 1830 show how Olivero exploited all the strategic peculiarities of the location, designing many overlapping buildings in order to increase lines of fire. The works were completed in just eight years.
The fourth section ’s protagonist is Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, luxury ‘prisoner’ during the reconstruction. In 1831, he was tasked with overseeing the works: despite the fact that the task would have elicited enthusiasm in anyone else, for Cavour it was a punishing experience, a ‘moral prison’ that he later defined as ‘exile’. Within the section there are also several objects from daily life in the Fort. A set recreates the typical atmosphere of a cell, while a panelling on a wall shows the garrisons which were stationed one after another at the Fort and the reproductions of several paintings by Quinto Cenni. On two screens, a film made in collaboration with the Archive of the Military Engineering of Rome allows visitors to discover the results of research regarding the soldiers present in the Fort over the years.
In the last room, the decline and rebirth of the Fort during the course of the 1900s is retraced by means of an interview with Ferdinando Jacquemet, a living witness able to recount the last chapter of the Bard story. The tour concludes with the projection of an animation tracing the development of military settlements within the Bard Fort from the year 1000 to the present day.
The tour is combined with the opportunity to participate in four teaching workshops , conducted depending on the age of the students, from infant school to lower secondary school.

    390125833811
    info@fortedibard.it

Bridges and age-old homes in the Champorcher valley

Architecture  -  Champorcher

An original architecture, linked to the impervious land

In a rocky and sloping valley like Champorcher, crossing the river banks was not an easy task. Placing the bridge foundations on top of rocky gulfs, over turbulent waters, the master builders of the XVII and XVIII centuries created masterpieces, that still today stand and resist the impressive floods.

Only 6 km from the central vallley, at the chieftown of Pontboset, a path joins different winding mule-back bridges on the Rathus river; these bridges lead to the sunny hillside where there are numerous abandoned villages.

These houses, attached to the slopes, are characterized by their “soulei”, high haylofts closed by vertical walls bound by pillars on the corners. Small two-storey stone homes, built beside each other, were used as drying rooms for chestnuts and remind us that, in 1000 meters in altitude, these populations existed thanks to this nutritious fruit.

Higher up the culture of grains takes on heroic aspects. The rye fields of long ago, overhanging one on top of the other, thanks to the layout of the hillside, characterize this landscape and were entirely built by man.
In the villages, like Outre l’Eve, numerous grain barns show the expert skills of the carpenters of this mountain valley, which is worth discovering.
The ethnographic hemp museum at Chardonney was built under an old XVIII century barn, furnishing an inhabited stable, much like the one of Champorcher in the winter. The inhabitants were specialized in the weaving of hemp and this precious material was carried from all over Valle d’Aosta. It was a primary material in the daily lives of the people and they used it to make underwear, drapes and sheets.

The Roman road to the Gauls and its arch

Roman architecture  -  Donnas

The Gauls consular road, built by the Romans to link Rome to the Rodano Valley, has one of its most characteristic points in the Donnas section, which is dug into the live rock over a length of 221 metres.

The dimensions of the excavation are highlighted by the rocky headland that has been left, within which an arch has been dug out: it measures 4 metres in width, 4 metres in height and the distance between the two jambs is almost three metres: during the Middle Ages it was used as the gateway to the Suburb, which was closed during the night.

On the pavement of the road you can still see the furrows left by the carriages, while a little beyond the arch there is milestone on which the number 36 represents the distance between Donnas and Aosta in miles (approximately 50 km).

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Lou Dzeut - manufatti in canapa

Crafts  -  Donnas

Following the path of an ancient tradition, the "Lou Dzeut" Cooperative in Champorcher — now also present in Donnas — carries on the art of hand-weaving hemp fabric, creating and embroidering linens and handcrafted items that embody a rich history and solid heritage, synonymous with uniqueness and quality. The name "Lou Dzeut" is no coincidence: in the local patois, it means both "swarm," symbolizing collective work and collaboration, and "sprout," as a promise of future growth.

The manual labor on old-fashioned wooden looms, where the hands and feet of the weavers move arrhythmically, harks back to a bygone era. It’s a demanding and challenging task, but also captivating, where quality takes precedence over quantity. The weavers, along with the sewing master, embroiderers, and lacemakers, continue to produce hemp and linen fabrics, creating unique, personalized items for the home and linens.

In the atelier, high-quality pieces are crafted that honor tradition, yet evolve with a keen eye on contemporary needs. Custom-made shirts and vests can also be ordered, crafted from the fabric produced on-site.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm

    (+39) 012537327

Pramotton Tower

Castles and towers  -  Donnas

It is the first tower that can be seen by entering the Aosta Valley, and it dates back to the 13th century.
Situated at about thirty minutes walk from the hamlet of Pramotton, on the right orographic bank of the Dora Baltea, the tower is hexagonal and is decorated with six merlons corresponding the edges.
The entrance is placed at four meters above the ground and it is still possible to see the perimeter wall that originally surrounded the tower.

Albard chapel

Churches and shrines  -  Donnas

The Albard chapel is located near the village of the same name in the municipality of Donnas, at 613 meters above sea level, overlooking the fort and the village of Bard, and is dedicated to the translation of the relics of San Grato.

The facade is dated 1756 and is frescoed with the scene of the deposition of the Holy Cross under a glory of angels.

Chapel of Verale village

Churches and shrines  -  Donnas

In the Verale pasture, at 1215 meters above sea level, stands the chapel dedicated to the transfiguration of Our Lord, founded in 1753. In the village you can also see the community oven used for baking bread.

In the past, the faithful went in procession to the nearby sanctuary of Machaby on 5 August for the feast of the Madonna delle Nevi and, on their return, the following day, they stopped in Verale to celebrate the Transfiguration. Today the celebration takes place on the second Saturday of August.

Parish Church of San Pietro in Vincoli

Churches and shrines  -  Donnas

The parish church is located at the centre of the town right next to the train station. It was rebuilt in 1830 on the foundations of the previous one and is a wealth of frescoes with an imposing main altar in XVIII century marble. Important wooden craft work includes the choir loft supported by caryatid heads and the fine Istoriato pulpit, as well as the confessionals, baptistery, choir benches and doors. The square bell-tower was built in more recent times compared to the church, but the base is decorated with an ancient bas-relief from the XIII century depicting St. Peter.

    (+39) 0125.807032

S.Orso chapel

Churches and shrines  -  Donnas

One of the oldest chapels in the Donnas area, it is located west of the medieval village and was allegedly founded to safeguard the houses from the frequent and dangerous floods of the Dora Baltea river. The chapel seems to have already been mentioned in 1176 in a bull of Pope Alexander III.

The lintel of the entrance portal bears the date 1692, the year in which the chapel was rebuilt. The beautiful stone portal is a reduced-scale copy of that of the parish church of Issime (around 1685).
Inside, you can admire a late eighteenth-century pulpit in gilded and polychrome wood on which figures of saints and flower garlands stand out.

Ecomuseum "The local dairy at Treby"

Museums  -  Donnas

The building in the Tréby hamlet of Donnas, which from 1897 until 1980 hosted the activity of the local social dairy has a double historical and cultural interest as it testifies at the same time to the rural past of the village and to the centuries-old presence in Donnas of the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit, whose charitable activity has survived almost to the present day.

While the premises used up to thirty years ago as a social dairy preserve nowadays the furnishings and equipment for the delivery of milk and the subsequent dairy processing, as well as the documentation and records relating to the operation of the company itself, in the adjoining room, entirely frescoed , the evidence of the activity of the “Confrèrie du Saint-Esprit” emerges, existing since 1012 as reported on the fresco depicting the Last Supper.
You can admire various paintings attesting the work done by the brotherhood in favour of the community. The duty of the confraternity was in fact to translate faith into works of charity, distribute food to the poor and host the homeless in case of fire. The charitable activity of the confraternity continued for more than a century and a half after its official suppression in 1776.

The act establishing a local dairy at Treby dates back to the 25th July 1897.
Five years later, on the 21st May 1902, the dairy bought the buildings of the Brotherhood of the Holy Ghost, where it remained in activity until 1980, when the association broke up.

The building, given to the Municipality of Donnas in year 2000, has been restored and destined, in 2003, to ethnographic museum, furnished with the same equipment and materials originally used at the dairy.

    (+39) 0125.807051
    info@comune.donnas.ao.it

Museum of vine-growing and wine-making

Museums  -  Donnas

Most exhibits and equipment are still commonly used nowdays in Donnas. Their origins date far back, with names in “patois” that are often impossible to translate and which evoke a past in which vine-growing was widely practised and deeply rooted in local culture. These simple objects were created by expert hands for use in a vineyard or a cellar.

The museum is housed in the cellar of the ‘‘Anna Caterina Selve’‘ school, built in honour of Mr.Federico Selve’s mother in favour of the population of Donnas.
The elegant building has a linear geometrical structure consisting of a single body on different heights and external horizontal ashlar-style contours.

The cellars have a beautiful vaulted brick ceiling.
Initially used as a deposit, between 1971 and 1976 the rooms housed the Caves Coopératives de Donnas and the first wine in Val d’Aosta with Controlled Denomination of Origin.
In 2003 the cellars were restored by the Municipality of Donnas in order to house the museum.

In addition to tools and objects related to grape harvesting and winemaking there are some touch screens that illustrate the must processing techniques and the local wines.

    (+39) 340.3455869
    (+39) 338.8685598

Hollowed out stones

Archeology  -  Hône

These are rocks or stones where small concave holes in the shape of a cup have been carved with either hard stones or metal awls. These prehistoric findings date back to the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. It is still unclear what these carvings were used for: some experts believe that the hollowed out stones were used for religious and propitiatory rites. In the Hône area, the hollowed out stones are located in Montoulin (900m) and in Plan Priod (465m).

Marelli palace

Castles and towers  -  Hône

Built in 1689 near the parish church of Saint George, this is the residence of Count Jean-Pierre Marelli, general superintendent of arms and munitions of the House of Savoy, who had received the territory of Hône as a fiefdom just a few years previously. The building develops horizontally and is characterised by the presence of gardens and internal vegetable gardens. From the outset, what was conceived as a Palazzo Signorile, was used as a farmhouse, and by the 1700s, the state of the structure had deteriorated. In the middle of the 19th century Giovanni Antonio Colliard, long-serving mayor of Hône, purchased the palazzo and remained owner until the middle of the following century. The architectural structure of the castle has undergone heavy transformations in the last few decades.

Parish church of San Giorgio

Churches and shrines  -  Hône

The parish church dedicated to St. George boasts ancient origins: it was in fact already mentioned in a Papal Bull by Alexander III in 1176. The building was rebuilt during the early decades of the XVIII century and in 1742 the Gilardi brothers created the statues on the triumph beam. Other almost full renovations took place in 1833, while in 1897 the interior was frescoed by Alessandro and Augusto Artari, painters from Verrès.

INTERESTING DETAILS:
- the three altars, dating from the XVIII century and in Baroque style, in carved, painted and gilded wood;
- the choir lift, decorated with original caryatids
- the nineteenth-century pulpit in walnut, composed of various sculptured panels.

The parish church museum contains, among other things, the following pieces:
- bas-relief depicting Our Lady of Mercy, dating from around 1600, perhaps originally from the chapel in Ruine, which was destroyed by a flood in the XVII century
- bas-relief depicting St. George, the princess and the dragon, dating from the first half of the XVII century
- numerous, precious sculptures and sacred furnishings.

    (+39) 3497269926
    (+39) 0125803540

The old bridges of Pontboset

Architecture  -  Pontboset

The name of the town, Pontboset, evokes its main characteristic:the presence of many bridges.
In fact, starting from the Chief Town you can cross six of them with a pleasant walk:amongst the many bridges the ones that are particularly beautiful are the one shaped like a donkey’s back on the Ayasse (bridge of Bozet) that gives access to the mule paths for the villages of Piolly and Fourneir, the beautiful three arched stone bridge that gives access to Envers and the one of Vaseras on the Manda river.

Furthermore in 1878 a beautiful stone bridge was built between the villages of Savin and Fassiney. It was built to replace the previous wooden one, that resisted all the floods of that time.

    0125/803070

Gom Chapel

Churches and shrines  -  Pontboset

The current Gom chapel, which dates back to the third decade of the 18th century, was rebuilt on the remains of a previous, much smaller building, with a south facing entrance. The splendid baroque altar is most likely the work of one of the many Valsesian artists active within the eighteenth century in Valle d’Aosta, Francesco Antoni d’Alberto. On the facade of the chapel there is a gracious and unusual ornamental motif.

Parish church of San Grato

Churches and shrines  -  Pontboset

The original church was built between 1622 and 1624, therefore shortly before the foundation of the parish (1625), but it was then rebuilt in 1843-44, working on the plans and under the management of the architect Pacifique Dallou of Donnas. In 1910, the internal walls were frescoed by the painters Stornone, Sardi and Carretti.
The altar dates back to the nineteenth century, but contains statues from 1706, by Serra, a maestro from Biella. The triumphal crucifix is said to date back to 1625. In the square in front of the church there is a beautiful stone fountain, built in 1830 by the stone cutter Peraldo of Biella.

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Retempio Sanctuary

Churches and shrines  -  Pontboset

The Retempio Sanctuary, which dates back to 1835, comprises a chapel dedicated to Nostra Signora della Visitazione and San Rocco. Inside is a gilded wooden statue of the Madonna and two polychrome statues of Sant’Andrea and San Bartolomeo. The sanctuary is named after the nearby summer mountain pasture of Tempioz. From the sanctuary, which is the destination of a pilgrimage tradition held on 2nd July, there is a beautiful view of Mount Rosa and Matterhorn.

Roman Bridge

Roman architecture  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

An impressive testimony of the Romanization of Valle d’Aosta. Its date is uncertain: according to some it is said to have been built around 120 B.C. while others attribute it to 25 B.C.

The bridge
It is anchored to the live rock on both sides, 25 metres high and its single arch is 35 metres wide. At its base, dug into the live rock, you can see the bearings for the wooden beams which provided the necessary framework for the construction of the stone arch. At the end of the nineteenth century some iron crowns were added to strengthen the structure. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, further down in the valley, another wooden bridge was built, it was later replaced in 1876 by the current brick structure.

The legend
Popular imagination has attributed the construction of the bridge to the devil. According to legend, Saint Martin, the Bishop of Tours, found himself obstructed by the Lys river on his way back from Italy to his dioceses, the river had swept way the only walkway during a flood. The devil proposed that the problem be solved by building a solid bridge in just one night, but in exchange he requested the soul of the first person to cross that bridge. The saint accepted, but the next morning, throwing a piece of bread over to the other side of the bridge, he made sure that the first creature to cross the bridge was a hungry dog. The devil was furious and disappeared into the Lys amidst bolts of lightening and blasts of sulphur and the local population was left with the bridge. This legend still constitutes one of the main themes of the Pont-Saint-Martin carnival, which concludes with the burning of a devil in effigy under the Roman bridge.

    0125830611
    protocollo@comune.pontsaintmartin.ao.it

Baraing Castle

Castles and towers  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

Its construction began in 1883 on a rock overlooking the ancient burg, as wished by Pietro Annibale Baraing, one of the most important figures in Pont-Saint-Martin.
Built in neo-gothic style, according to the style of the era, it was surrounded by a large garden with greenhouses and fountains, and its construction was completed in 1893.
In 1931 it was donated to the municipality of Pont-Saint-Martin, which turned it into the town hall. In the post-war period up to the 1960s, it housed the Regional Employment Offices.
After being left in abandonment for several years, it was refurbished and is now the headquarters of the Mont Rose Mountain Municipal District.

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L' Castel fortified house

Castles and towers  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

Formerly known as della Rivoire, the castle was built in different phases and used as a residence by the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin starting from the end of the 15th century. Remodeled several times, while still maintaining various significant aspects, in its primitive forms the structure could be identified as a rural fortification (hence the name of a stronghold), but its function, as well as defensive, was also ostentatious, meeting the need to underline the prestige enjoyed by the owners.
The building is spread over four floors: a basement room, with the function of a warehouse or room for the processing of agricultural products, two floors representing the main floors and a third, with seat windows, with more modest living characteristics.
On the south-west side there is a projecting body that rests on superimposed shelves of squared stone. To the north-west, towards via Castello, the original wall structure is clearly visible, made of stones and lime mortar; at the top a characteristic fireplace stands out. On the north-east side are the entrance and the stairwell which leads to the mezzanine and the two raised floors. Various interesting elements also present the south-east side, which overlooks the internal courtyard: three windows with grating, a wooden balcony resting on a system of shelves, beams and lightning bolts and finally the dovecote.
The restoration carried out in 2012 made it possible to recover the building by removing it from neglect and the signs of aging and allowing it to be returned to the population and to all those interested in the history of the country.

Visit
After the renovation, the stronghold of the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin has become the home no longer of noble families, but of talents and culture, a museum and cultural center that worthily return this historic building to the community in all its splendor.

In addition to some drawings by the master Francesco Corni, the structure houses various period furnishings belonging to the collections of the regional administration, set up on the main floor together with the exhibition “Presenze”, antique clothes and linen interpreted by Daniela Evangelisti .
The third floor is dedicated to the works of the sculptor Cristiano Nicoletta, made available by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and Activities of the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta, as well as to the exhibition “The bombing of Pont Saint Martin - 1944” . Finally, going up to the last level is the photographic exhibition “Vignobles” curated by Enrico Peyrot.

    (+39) 0125.807793
    (+39)335.1251920
    biblioteca@comune.pontsaintmartin.ao.it

Fontaney church

Churches and shrines  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

The Fontaney Church stands along the regional road of Perloz, just above the centre of Pont-Saint-Martin, hidden among cypresses and boxtrees, in a place rich in sources whose moisture unfortunately caused the decline of this beautiful model reproducing in miniature the plant of the Aosta Cathedral, and from which derives the toponym that means “place of the fountains”.

History
Built between 1590 and 1595 by Baron Pierre of Vallaise on a land owned by his family, next to the fortified house, it was dedicated to the Precious Blood and the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At the time when the church was built, Pont-Saint-Martin’s territory still belonged to the parishes of Perloz and Donnas. After several instances from the inhabitants and the Baron who let the church build, on 5 June 1614 the church was appointed as parish by Bishop Martini, and so remained until 1899.

Description
The church has a rectangular plan, with three naves, divided by pillars painted with frescoes of scenes from the life of Saints. The interior paintings, in fairly good conditions, bear the date of 1726. The polygonal apse has an ambulatory which prolongs the side aisles, while the rib vaults are divided by grey stone cordons. The façade was frescoed in 1600: the Renaissance paintings represent scenes from the Holy Scriptures.
On the right side is placed the chapel of the Holy Rosary, contemporary of the rest of the building.
The presbitery is placed over a step elevated above the floor of the nave: it was once bounded by two tuff columns, still visible on the side walls.
The aisles are lightened by fifteen large windows, once provided with lead glass with images of Saint Martin (who gave the name to the municipality), the Glory of Christ, the Virgin and the twelve Apostles.
The sacristy was in communication with the bell tower, now collapsed.

In 1839 the new parish church, built in the plain, was opened: since that time the old parish church was stripped of all ornaments and gradually abandoned.
In 1904 an ordinance of the city council of Pont-Saint-Martin would even have ordered its demolition, in order to allow the expansion of the nearby cemetery. The intervention of the parish priest don Fortunato Quendoz was decisive and saved from destruction this jewel of sacred architecture: in 1910 the Regional Direction for Ancient Monuments declared the church of Fontaney as a national monument.
In 1968 were made some operations on the plasters and in 1998 the roof was reconstructed, at the end of a complex series of restoration and renovation interventions that gave again the very identity to the monument.
Since 2009 the Fontaney Church has been finally returned to the population.

Museum of the Roman Bridge

Museums  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

Notice: the Museum is temporarily closed for renovation

The museum is dedicated to the magnificent bridge built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, whose arch is the widest among those existing in Europe, dating back to the same era.

An interesting series of photographs, drawings and documents allows to acquire any kind of information about the ‘‘Devil’s Bridge’‘: the materials and techniques used for its construction, legends about the bridge, the 19th-century restoration, the narrow escape from allied bombing in August 1944.
The Roman bridge museum is also the departure point for an all-round visit to the village of Pont-Saint-Martin, presented in a video projected in the same room.

Carnevale storico

Traditions  -  Pont-Saint-Martin

Il Carnevale di Pont-Saint-Martin è nato nel 1910 e trae origine da due distinte leggende popolari.
Una è imperniata sul personaggio del Diavolo che, come vuole la leggenda, fu interpellato da San Martino per la costruzione di un ponte solido sul torrente Lys. Il Maligno innalzò un bellissimo arco in una sola notte, ma in cambio chiese l’anima che per prima vi fosse transitata. Il Santo però ingannò il Diavolo facendo passare sul ponte un cane: il Maligno si infuriò e voleva distruggere la propria opera: aveva già aperto una breccia sul parapetto del ponte, ma San Martino piantò una croce nel suo punto più alto e fece scomparire il Diavolo. In seguito venne eretto un oratorio nel luogo dove era stata fatta la breccia, per annullare il maleficio che non permetteva di ripararla in nessun modo.
Il personaggio della Ninfa si rifà invece alla leggenda della Fata di Colombera: secondo la tradizione questa leggiadra creatura abitava in un antro scavato nella roccia nei pressi di Réchanter. Ma gli abitanti del borgo la accusarono di iniquità ed ella decise di lasciare quel luogo inospitale. Fece cadere una pioggia torrenziale che ingrossò le acque del rivo di Réchanter, poi fermò le acque del Lys formando un lago nel quale ella si adagiò, per poi ridare nuovamente sfogo ai flutti. La terribile ondata, arrivata nei pressi di Pont, rischiava di travolgere il Ponte Romano ed alcuni abitanti del paese invocarono la ninfa: “Baissez-vous, la belle, et laissez-nous le pont!” La giovane creatura, commossa, risparmiò il Ponte ed il paese, cosa che gli abitanti ricordano ancor oggi con riconoscenza.
Durante la festa si svolge anche la “corsa delle bighe”, in ricordo dell’occupazione Romana al tempo dei Salassi, ed i festeggiamenti si concludono con il rogo del Diavolo sotto il ponte.
La manifestazione inizia il sabato grasso per terminare il mercoledì delle Ceneri.

    prolocopsm@libero.it