Nature: Chambave, Châtillon, Fénis, Verrayes

Location
The park is part of the castle with the same name, situated on a height behind the Châtillon parish church.

History
The park, like the castle and the French styled Renaissance garden, assumed its current conformation in 1706. In fact, thanks to Paolina Solaro di Govone, wife of Giorgio Francesco di Challant, the castle was fully reconstructed and new trees were planted in the park. Nowadays the park belongs to the countness Claudia Passerin d’Entrèves.

Description
Various trees were identified in this park as “monumental plants”, of different varieties, protected by a specific regional law. A linden with a 5 meter circumference, the old and majestic beech tree with a 5.5 meter circumference and an atlas cedar with a 4.5 meter circumference are among these. There are also ash, oak and maple trees of impressive sizes considering the characteristics of these species and the famous and majestic “linden and beech-lined lane” that offers a truly enchanting view of this site. The park covers about 3 hectares but only 2 hectares are accessible and constantly monitored. A sign has been placed before all the monumental plants listing their characteristics.

A concentration of natural processes in a very rich habitat

An old pond rapidly drying out located on a glacier terrace in the heart of a sunny and dry climate zone.

The lake is home to a rich zooplankton population, numerous invertebrates including different species of dragonflies and amphibians such as the common toad and the brown frog. In the reserve there are more than fifteen different plant associations and almost seventy species typical of wetlands and aquatic environments, some rare or unique to the Valle d’Aosta.

The nature reserve is one of the European ecological network Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

How to get there
From Aosta, take the national road 26 towards Turin. In Chambave, follow the signs for Verrayes and Loson.

This arboretum, the oldest of this kind in the Region, was realized between 1905 and 1908 by Canon Vescoz, an eminent religious, scientist and geologist native of Verrayes, in a poor and dry ridge, called Pointys (1050 m) and purchased by him with huge economic sacrifices.
This was the first forestation experiment carried out in Aosta Valley with exotic species, on an area of over 12 hectares.
More than 11.000 non-indigenous plants were put in, including 3 varieties of cedar, 2 varieties of douglas, 2 varieties of Italian cypress, the Monterey cypress, the thuja, the giant sequoia, the black pine in addition to native species, some of which are completely out of the station, including the beech, the French oak, the mountain pine, etc. ...
The visitor can admire a wooded area of great naturalistic, botanical and scientific interest, given by the uniqueness and the particularity of the site. The massive presence of aromatic thyme is to mention.
The site is open since 1995 and the most suitable season to visit the Arboretum is spring, characterized by an exaltation of colors and scents.
Three explanatory boards integrated with the mapping of arboretum show tourists the vegetation, the various trails (each appropriately marked) and the most panoramic areas.