Official website for tourism in the Aosta Valley
The hamlet of Leverogne has an interesting urban development of its medieval village, with different buildings worth seeing.Of particular historic interest are the frescoes dating back to 1497, recently restored, that represent the seven Works of Mercy on the outside walls of what once was a hospice for wayfarers.Climbing the path of the Dora di Valgrisenche, you can still see the remains of a Roman bridge.
In the hamlet of Planaval, at the start of Valgrisenche, you will find the fortified manor house of Rodolfo d’Avise, built in 1312.
The building has a rectangular plan and has a series of loopholes visible from the road that goes up the valley.
La Mothe castle dominates the village from the top of the hill.
Unfortunately only the four-sided tower remains intact, while the ruins of the round tower and the perimeter wall are still visible.
The current appearance estimates construction of the castle between the end of the 12th and the start of the 13th century, with important modifications in the 15th century. It was first mentioned in 1287, when Aimone de Arverio paid feudal homage to the count of Savoy. According to the tradition mentioned by 18th-century historian Jean-Baptiste De Tillier, the Savoy nobleman Aimar de la Mothe came to Val d’Aosta towards the end of the 13th century and married the heiress of the noble De Arverio family, thus gaining possession of the castle, before restoring it and giving it his own name.
The castle was built in 1271 by Anselmo and Aimone D´Avise on a steep promontory over the orographic right bank of the Dora Valgrisenche, in a position dominating the entrance to the valley of the same name.
Today it is reduce to ruins, but preserves the cylindrical tower, crowned with beautiful swallowtail battlements. It is still possible to see the remains of the ancient castle and the boundary wall.
Access is only possible on foot, along the path that leaves from the village of Grand Haury, just above Arvier.
According to an oral tradition, which has not been supported by any documental evidence, the church of Arvier was once located within the district of Leverogne. The church was later built under the castle with the monumental bell tower which appears, from a stylistic point of view, to date back to the 13th century. The current building is the fruit of the baroque restoration of the church, which came about during the course of the second half of the 17th century and was consecrated in 1701. Around the mid 19th century, the dome and the two sacristies were built.
The parish museum of sacred art
Established inside the church, it holds statues of saints and holy objects.
The shrine of Rochefort, dedicated to Maria Ausiliatrice (Our Lady Help of Christians) was erected at the end of the nineteenth century on the headland where the castle of the Lords of Avise once stood, it was already in ruins at the end of the 18th century.
Along the national road n. 26, in the proximity the village ofAvise, where nowdays stands a tunnel, the ancient Roman road of Gauls had to deal with a fearful bottleneck, which Roman engineering got around by cutting through the rock: it is the bottleneck of “Pierre Taillée”.
The area was also suitable for military surveillance, and this is why, above the tunnel, it is still possible to observe the remains of the fortifications which played a significant role during the French invasions of 1691 and 1704-1706.
Getting to Avise, the first building on the village’s left side, consisting in a three-storey construction with a square tower on its side is the Avise castle, built towards the end of the 15th century by Bonifacio or by Rodolfo d’Avise.
The tower’s machicolation embellishment is of particular interest, as well as the beautiful series of double ogee windows to be observed on the south side.
The monument hosts nowdays an accommodation facility with restaurant.
Near the parish church, you cannot miss the castle complex, consisting of a square tower (12th century) and a more recent main building (15th century) with exquisite cross windows.
The castle was once the residence of the powerful D’Avise family and only in 1645 did it go to the de Blonay brothers, who changed its name. The ancient towers was known as “des Prisons”: in 1787 the nobleman Philip de Blonay claimed joint rights with other lords in Avise to imprison wrong-doers. The tower was sold to local families by the Bianco family of San Secondo, while the annexed building was taken away from the Blonay.
As you come out of the municipal seat, on the edge of a promontory you find this partly destroyed fortified manor house.
Probably built in the 10th century, it is said that it belonged to Pierre d’Avise, vice-administrator of Aosta in 1425. In the second half of the century it was sold to Bonifacio Ducrest of Savoy, a ducal official.
The Ducrest family died out at the start of the 18th century.
Situated in the chief town, the building was erected on the foundations of another older, low, irregular and small one, which was entirely demolished. According to tradition, the parish church once stood between Runaz and Pierre Taillée, on the Roman road. When this church, dedicated to Saint Martin, was destroyed, along with the entire village of Runaz, by the armies who came through here around the 9th-10th century, it is said to have been rebuilt on the other side of the Dora, less exposed to military incursions and dedicated to Saint Brice, the disciple and successor of Saint Martin. In the year 1400, thanks to two benefactors (uncle and nephew) who were both called Antoine d’Avise, the belltower of the parish church was built by the Maestro Pierre Sella.
The chapel is located within the hamlet of Cerellaz, at a short distance from the municipality of Saint Nicolas.
Inside the eighteenth century building there is a large canvas showing the Descent from the Cross. Apart from two bishops, the saints Roch, Barbara and Gratus are also shown.
This fortified house was built by the D’Avise family close to the Gaul roman road in the village of Runaz. At the end of the 15th century Jean le Jeune, lord of Runaz, transformed the building into a residence, whose beautiful widows in late-gothic style, dating back to the 16th century are still admirable. Also worthy to see is the main entrance door.
The structure, which hosts ethnographic and historical exhibitions, is also the seat of the Association Valdôtaine des Archives Sonores who is responsible of its management.
The museum, situated in the first side chapel on the right of the Saint Brice parish church, hosts different sacred works coming both from the same church and from the chapels of the villages Vedun, Charbonnière, Cerellaz and Runaz.
The statues and sacred objects exposed cover a period of time going from 15th to 19th century: moreover, it is possible to admire an important series of goldsmith’s crafts and a textile manufacture probably created in an italian workshop active at half of the 18th century.
The building beside the Introd castle, today called “Cascina L’Ola”, was once used as a barn and hayloft by the Introd family.The newer unit of this old building is the part held up by five big columns and covered by a jutting rooftop.Worth noticing, on the Western side, the architrave of a door, decorated by a streamlined arch motif.Another interesting building located beside the castle is the barn, a wood and stone building constructed on the foundations of a previous building.Through a small door (the Gothic lock that represents a richly embattled medievel castle is extremely interesting), you reach the two halls located underground.These halls have windows that today are completely buried.In the past thieves would frequently rob grain from this barn.
The village of Les Combes overlooks the town of Arvier, but it is part of Introd. It was established on a gentle sloping clearing, dedicated to agropastoralism, wheat and straw.
The traditional architecture of Les Combes mainly uses stone, and it is made up of large buildings whose evolution unfolds from the Early Middle Ages to the 19th century. Robust stone buildings from the 15th century are preserved in the village centre, with a wooden barn alongside it here and there.
Some rural buildings exhibit drainpipes supported by circular stone columns. These columns represent power and bear witness to the fact that these houses with their rural appearance were inhabited by a judge, a castellan and notary. They were built by expert building masters mainly from the Lys Valley, Gaby and Issime, the home towns of seasonal emigrants, skilled in working with stone, from the XVI to the XIX century.
This architectural element is related to the prestige of the noble estate of Introd Castle, the Ola, whose imposing appearance influenced building masters who raised rural buildings in nearby towns, in the Rhêmes valley and, occasionally, important houses throughout the Aosta Valley and the Savoiard Tarantaise.
Not far from Les Combes, in the village of Villes-dessus in Introd, the maison Bruil is worth a visit. It is an amazing building that belonged to the Buillet and Bruil families between the XVII and XX centuries and was adapted to later canons in order to obtain a large multi-purpose home, with a covered internal courtyard, that runs alongside the facade with three circular columns from 1680 and now incorporated within the structure dating from 1856. This house is home to an exhibition on mountain food.
Les Amis du Bois, founded in 1974, is a small artisan business that produces typical wooden objects as per on local tradition. They mainly create grolle (wooden bowls for coffee) and friendship cups, two objects that symbolize typical Valdostan handicrafts. But they also make plates, mortars, vases, bowls, cutting boards, bas-reliefs and any other type of carved object, always, of course, in wood.
The workshops may be toured only with a reservation made by phone.
Opening times are subject to variations: we advice to verify them before the visit (see the “Contacts” area)
Book your visit to the castle here.
The castle
Introd castle stands on a promontory protected by the harsh gorges of the Savara and the Dora di Rhêmes (in fact the name Introd derives from the term “Interaquas”, or “entre-eaux” in French, which means “between the waters”) and probably dates back to the 12th century. Like Graines castle, originally, it probably consisted of a square keep surrounded by a perimeter wall.
Around 1260 Pierre Sarriod of Introd transformed the early castle which, following the modifications of the 15th century became five-sided and almost circular in shape, setting it apart from other castles in Val d’Aosta. These transformations mark the apogee of the Sarriod family, which included the Lords of Introd and La Tour (Saint-Pierre).
The castle was heavily damaged by two fires during the second half of the 19th century and was rebuilt at the start of the 1900s by Gonella, who engaged the architect Chevalley.
Owned by the Counts Caracciolo of Brienza and rented out for free to the MunicipalIty of Introd; the Castle is managed by the Fondation Grand Paradis, which ensures it is open to visitors.
Open to the public: ground floor and castle gardens.
The “Cascina L’Ola”
The building next to the castle, today called the “Cascina L’Ola”, was formerly used by the Lords of Introd as a stable and hayshed. The most recent part of the old building is the area supported by five pillars and covered by an overhanging roof. The western wing hosts an interesting door lintel, decorated with a keel-shaped arch motif.
The granary
In the area in front of the castle is a magnificent construction, one of the rare existing examples of buildings made entirely from wood, typical of early mediaeval architecture in Valle d’Aosta: a fifteenth-century granary used to store grain and seeds. A small door, with an interesting Gothic lock featuring a richly crenellated mediaeval castle, leads to the two rooms below. Equipped with embrasures, the two rooms are now entirely buried underground.
Situated in the chief town, on the regional road for the valleys of Rhêmes and Valsavarenche, it is unconsecrated and currently houses exhibitions and concerts.
Very ancient tombs from the pre-Roman era were found in the vicinity.
Outside the little church there is a wooden cross that recalls the preaching of the popular missions in 1949. At the junction between the two wings, the engraver added a shroud with the face of Christ.
The construction date of the parish church is unknown, it is situated in the chief town dedicated to the conversion of Saint Paul. During the course of the years it was subject to changes and extensions.
Les Combes museum is a “sanctuary of memories” with images, documents and objects regarding the pontificate of John Paul II. It is a tribute to the Polish Pope who, from 1989 to 2004, chose ten times the Aosta Valley and the village of Les Combes for his summer rest period.
The Maison Musée Jean-Paul II exhibits a series of objects, documents and photographs of the Holy Father which provide a global vision of this pontificate.
This collection, on one hand represents the worldly, apostolic aspect of the Holy Father and, on the other, his residence in Val d’Aosta, through personal objects used during his holidays in Aosta Valley.
A few meters from the museum, the Chapel of San Lorenzo has become a sanctuary dedicated to St. John Paul II which houses a relic of the Holy Father, a lock of hair.
The altar with the image of John Paul II carved in an African mahogany trunk is by the artist Franco Chevrere.
Maison Bruil, located in the hamlet Ville Dessus of Introd is one of the best examples of rural Gran Paradiso architecture.
It is an ancient rural house with several concentrated functions: all spaces needed for survival of people and animals were grouped together under a single roof.
The current shape is the result of a complex architectural evolution that can be dated back to between 1680 and 1856, the period in which different wings of the building were joined to form a single body.
The visit unravels on three floors through the typical rooms of a traditional house, restored to their original function. The “crotta”, the natural glacier , the “crotteun”, the “peillo”, the drying areas and the garret are some of the areas open to the public wishing to deepen its knowledge of traditional architecture.
The exhibition: food preservation
Maison Bruil has become also a permanent food exhibition, a journey through oral testimony, recorded since 1980 in several communities of the Region. In the towns where the land lies fallow for many months, populations are only able to settle down when they dispose of food resources that last from one harvest to the next.
Altitude and latitude reduce food production times and as a consequence extend preservation times for the items needed. Tradition and experience taught the mountain dwellers numerous preservation techniques based on different physical and chemical principles: cold, salting, drying, smoking, cooking, isolation from air and light.
L’Atelier du Goût
Maison Bruil contains a special area reserved to local products: Atelier du Goût.
This is a showcase area where you can discover the territory and its products; presentations of products and tasting show the techniques and cultural context in which foodstuffs and wine are created.
Atelier du Goût provides an answer to the growing demand for food-related themes and quality agricultural products; this takes place in an atmosphere where the senses are used as an instrument of knowledge, with a direct approach to form, fragrances and flavours and with personal interaction with vine-dressers, diaries, farmers, the real protagonists of the products presented.
The mystery of the forest
A Fantasy Game style visit formula that involves adults and children in search of clues to decipher and puzzles to solve. Inside the rooms of the large Maison Bruil, between the stable, the cellars, the kitchen, the small dairy and the attic, visitors will have to face a fascinating challenge against time and solve the intricate mystery
Les Villes-Dessus Dairy
This building was built on land purchased from the inhabitants of the villages of Les Villes-Dessus and Norat. Each family contributed a share proportional to the number of cows owned. Built between 1913 and 1914, the dairy had a cellar for maturing cheeses and was equipped with a water turbine connected to the churn and fed by an ancient spring. A room intended for the village school
The dairy worked continuously until the mid-1980s. Appropriately renovated, the dairy has become a ludic and interactive center dedicated to discovering the traditional milk supply chain, designed in particular for school groups and young people accompanied by their families.
Established inside the church dedicated to the Conversion of Paul the Apostle, the parish museum exhibits statues, astylar crosses and liturgical ornaments from the church itself and village chapels.
The most significant objects include two Madonnas and Child from the 15th century and an astylar cross made of silver plate dating back to the 16th.
An invitation to meet the soul of a place and learn how to grasp its charm, history, magic …
The village of Les Combes, in the municipality of Introd, at the gates of the Gran Paradiso National Park, is known for its pleasant *traditional architecture with particular stone rural buildings, some of which date back to the Late Middle Ages, but also for having hosted the holidays of Pope John Paul II and his successor, Benedict XVI, for several summers.
It is from Les Combes that the artistic itinerary “the soul of places” begins, which leads to discover the works of the sculptor Franco Chevrère, who often returns to the alleys of the village, where he lived and to which he is strongly linked.
Some works are also located in the localities of Le Truc-d’Arbé, a few minutes from the road that goes up to Les Combes, and Croux de Bouque, reachable in about an hour on foot along the path marked 4-5.
Probably only the crypt remains of the ancient 12th century building, that opens out under the presbytery of the current parish church, which is the fruit of a 17th century restoration intervention.
Apart from the main altar, four other altars are also visible, dedicated to the Rosary, to Saint Agatha, St. Joseph and to the Holy Cross, unfortunately victims of various thefts which deprived them of their original décor.
The 15th century belltower is noteworthy, its spire dates back to the 17th century.
Thanks to this ancient construction of the 18th century, carefully restored, it is possible to understand how rural environments were organised in peasant culture and visit the exhibition of the archive of the “Concours Cerlogne” (school competitions for works in “patois”, the Provençal dialect in Val d’Aosta) from 1963 to the present day.
The centre has a conference hall, a library specialised in Provençal dialectology and local Alpine history and holds the Sound Archives cassettes and microfilm of the “Concours Cerlogne”.
The centre is an ancient 18th-century construction, part of the village of Fossaz-Dessus and an example of a classic rural mountain house. It lies among other constructions and is on sloping terrain with three and a half storeys, with the axis parallel to the levels: this is a constant feature of the village’s architecture. The space is organised into a stable (bòou) on the ground floor, a kitchen (méisôn) and the bedroom (tsambra) on the first floor and the hay barn (pailler) on the top part of the building.
In 1986 the regional administration purchased the building and started reconstruction, modifying the layout of the rooms in the grange, to house the Centre, which opened on 12 November 1988. Architects Louis Bochet and Alberto Breuvé managed to safeguard the old structures, proposing a reconstruction that was functional, while respecting the traditional elements.
On site and by reservation it is possible to consult the library specialized in the Franco-Provençal language and Alpine ethnology and the archive of the Cerlogne concours (more than 4000 volumes: these are the works in patois, from 1962 to today, by the schools participating in the annual competition).
Jean-Baptiste Cerlogne was born in Cerlogne, a village of Saint-Nicolas in 1826. After working in Marseille as a chimney sweep, he was employed as cook at the Seminario Maggiore in Aosta, where his intelligence and creativity were noted and he was invited to study to take holy orders. Thus he became “Abbé Cerlogne”, author of numerous mostly poetic publications written in Provençal dialect (patois), and works defending and spreading this dialect, including the “Dictionnaire du patois valdôtain”. He died in 1910 in Saint-Nicolas, where his remains lie in a tomb behind the church façade.
The museum located in La Cure, near the parish church, presents works and several personal objects of this Aosta Valley poet, as well as works of vernacular poets and writers from the past. The devisor and curator of “Musée Cerlogne” was Renato Willien, writer, theater man and photographer, who on 16 October 1967 set up in the same museum the Centre for Provençal Studies, later moved to the village of Fossaz-Dessus, where it has its present seat.
A gallery for temporary exhibitions has been created in the ancient vaulted stable beneath the museum.
currently closed
The Gerbore museum is located within the “Maison de la Tôr”, a historical building mentioned in a document from 1768, which hosts from time immemorial the bread oven and the dairy for the village families.
The exhibition “L’epoca dei Pionieri” (The age of pioneers), prepared by the “Fondation Joseph Gerbore” in the typical architectural backdrop, shows around fifty agricultural machines dating back to the 1950s. In addition to the interesting technical aspects, emphasis is placed on the social and economic impact caused by the arrival of the engine to the countryside (the revolution introduced by the mowing machine is the most emblematic example).
