Heritage: Avise

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.