The spots of the Resistance

The hamlet of Leverogne presents an interesting urban development of the medieval village, with several noteworthy buildings. The village bridge was an obligatory passage to cross the gorge on the stream and access the Valgrisenche and the Col du Mont, a privileged connection between the Aosta Valley and the Maurienne.
Leverogne was, therefore, a place of transit for pilgrims, traders and adventurers.

In 1368, with the specific aim of welcoming pilgrims, Pierre Socquier founded a hospice that offered a kitchen, a bedroom and a cellar.
Even today, on the facade of the ancient house, we can admire the fifteenth-century pictorial cycle of the "Works of Mercy" that were put into practice by offering a plate of soup and a bed to wayfarers.

Going up the course of the Dora di Valgrisenche stream, you can still find the remains of a Roman bridge.

Leverogne also preserves a painful memory of more recent history.
On September 13, 1944, a violent Nazi-Fascist reprisal tragically marked this place, causing the death of 13 innocent people and leading to the destruction of a significant part of the town of Leverogne, in addition to the almost total devastation of the villages of Rochefort and Chez-les-Garin. An event that remains etched in the collective memory, as a testimony to the sacrifice and resistance of a territory.

From Plan-de-Brun, where the first battle took place (4th March 1944), in half an hour you reach the Capital village, several times the scene of reprisals, including a dramatic fire, the most painful episode in the history of the village (30th June 1944). Don't miss the two sundials, one dated 1879 with the motto: "sic vita fugit" and the other from 1692 with the motto: "a solis ortu vitam hominis umbra notat".

Continuing the path, in about half an hour, you get to Marine, the winter headquarters of the Lys Brigade: for this reason, the structure that holds the Aurora Bell has been raised here, whose daily tolling remembers the sacrifice of those who fought to have peace and freedom.

The Aurora Bell, with its ringing every day at 9:15 am, recalls the birth of the Resistance movement. The first rifle shot in the Aosta Valley against the Nazi-Fascists was fired just a short distance from here. The name "Aurora" was given in memory of the partisan Aurora Vuillerminaz, who was shot on October 16, 1944 after being surprised while returning from Switzerland with some young people who wanted to participate in the Resistance movement.

The Museum, inaugurated in its new headquarters on 25 April 2001 25 April 2008, is housed in the headquarters of Loc. Capoluogo inside the historic building that was the home, immediately after the war, of the first partisan band active in the lower Valle d’Aosta, the Brigata Lys protagonist in 1943 of the first resistance action in the Lower Valley, in the more general context of the war and the struggle for Liberation in the Aosta Valley.
Relics, uniforms, helmets, clothing, flags, topographic maps, weapons, objects of various kinds are suitably combined with precious documentary, photographic and iconographic material, enhanced thanks to multimedia technologies and new and engaging communication methods. The Documentation Center set up in the Museum itself is equipped with publications, videos, CDs, cassettes, manuscripts and archival documents. A film on the Resistance in the Aosta Valley and Perloz, as well as multilingual audioguides, enrich the museum experience. They tell the story of the museum and accompany visitors in a path of discovery of the permanent collection.

Visits on reservation by contacting the Municipality at the phone numbers indicated in the “Contacts” section.

Les Chemins de la Liberté
Along with the museum, it is possible to find out about places of partisan fights along the route that starts from Plan de Burn as far as the hamlet of Marine; the path takes about one hour. 

The hamlet of Trois-Villes, in the municipality of Quart, stands at about 1,400 metres above sea level and offers a spectacular view of the central Valley. A place that combines history and exceptional views, ideal for a walk in memory and nature.

Leave your car in the small parking lot next to the chapel, follow the asphalt road (marked by a yellow sign) and in a few minutes, on the right, you will see the statue of the partisan. From here, a comfortable path leads you to the panoramic area, where the monument stands out against the mountains telling a story of courage and sacrifice.

The area is equipped with benches and illustrated panels that indicate the names of the visible peaks. But this is not just a panoramic point: it is a place of memory of the partisan struggle in the Aosta Valley.

The church and the statue of the partisan commemorate the massacre of Trois-Villes, which took place in 1944 at the hands of the Nazis and Fascists. The fighters of the 13th Emile Chanoux Band took refuge here, but during a roundup, four partisans were killed and the villages of Porsan, Avisod and Fonteil were burned and destroyed as a reprisal.

Stretching towards the French region of Tarentaise, Valgrisenche offers visitors a panorama of the surrounding mountains peaks and glaciers. Over the centuries, this has been the scene of border disputes, wars, divisions between so-called “enemy” states, as well as the land of man’s common struggle for dignity and freedom. At the end of the second world war, this land became a place for exchange and solidarity, a reference point and symbol of a newfound European unity.

The photographic and documentary exhibition on the Resistance at the documentation centre is testimony to the contacts and relationships between the populations that live on either side of the Alps. The exhibition is enriched with multimedia elements which, through photographs and interviews underline the role and importance of Col du Mont, lying between Valgrisenche and Tarentaise, from the French Revolution to the Resistance movement of the Second World War.

The documentation centre building is well-suited to the themes dealt with: the vieux quartier is a recently restored fortress dating back to the end of the 19th century, devised as a control and defence station between Valgrisenche and Tarentaise. Its function was a determining factor for its architecture and its austere appearance.

The fathers of Aosta Valley Autonomous Region and its autonomy originate from Valsavarenche, known today especially for being part of the Gran Paradiso National Park: Emile Chanoux, promoter of Val d’Aosta’s autonomy and Federico Chabod, first President of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley.
Emile Chanoux was born on 9th January 1906 in the small village of Rovenaud. He was a firm supporter of autonomy for Aosta Valley within a federal-style Europe, the recognised leader of the Val d’Aosta struggle for liberation after the armistice. Emile Chanoux was arrested by the Nazi-fascists on 18 May 1944 and died during the night after being tortured by the Nazi-fascists.
Federico Chabod was born in Aosta in 1901 and was very fond of his land of origin. He was the first President of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley and, after a brilliant university career, became a internationally recognised historian.

The Rovenaud documentation centre valorises and promotes the cultural heritage left by Chabod and Chanoux, particularly in terms of the debate on federalism and Europe. You can see an anthology of original writings by Chanoux and multimedia supports provide information concerning the contribution of other Aosta Valley authors, such as Chabod, Bréan, Caveri and others, to the debate on federalism and the new Europe.