Sport Itineraries: Perloz

It is the historical-archaeological route that winds through the village centre, from the 17th-century Saint-Roch Chapel, to the church and parish house. A path that allows you to see all the main monuments, the*castles, the houses of the village with their architectural features* and to reach, by going through the Chemin de la Paroy, Tour d’Héréraz, the jurisdictional and religious centre of the Vallaise: here you find, straddling a deep gorge where the Lys stream flows, the pont Moretta, which has an oratory in the centre that acts as a door; from here go on to the Notre-Dame de la Garde Sanctuary.

Splendid example of medium mountain rural architecture: the works of the sculptor Angelo Bettoni and other artists scattered throughout the village make it an authentic and unique open-air museum in constant evolution.

The village can be reached on foot starting from the Marine hamlet (about 1h30 minutes) or from the hamlet of Nantey (about 45 minutes) going up from the Gressoney Valley and leaving the car in Nantey (path n. 4). Starting from Marine you can also take the path that leads to the Glacieres mill (path no. 5), along the ru Marine (irrigation canal) and then continue on the road, by crossing the bridge (path no. 4).

The itinerary starts in the hamlet of Marine, part of Perloz, which is reached by going up the paved road which, from Pont-Saint-Martin, connects Perloz, Marine and Pra. Near the dwellings, take the mule track, sections of which follow the path, while others go along the road, and connects the villages of Crestaz, Faye Dessous and Pesse Désot. From here head north and you soon reach the road to be taken on the right. After a rocky wall, leave this road and take the mule track leading to Croux and Pra. Cross the road in Pra and continue along the itinerary, up the ravine of the Nantey until you come to the pastures of Pian and Le Bec. After ignoring several tracks on the right and going past a ruin, you come to the base of the peak. The path then turns sharply left until it reaches the crest and then continues towards the white cross standing on the peak of Crabun (2709 m), where just below this point, stands the bivouac Crabun.

The itinerary starts in the hamlet of Marine, part of Perloz, which is reached by going up the paved road which, from Pont-Saint-Martin, connects Perloz, Marine and Pra. Near the dwellings, take the mule track, sections of which follow the path, while others go along the road, and connects the villages of Crestaz, Faye Dessous and Pesse Désot. Continue towards Pesse Damon and, take the path near a stone cross that leads leftwards over the meadows. go past the Fenêtre Damon cabin, then continue winding up inside the wood, until you reach Col Fenêtre.

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.