Heritage: La Magdeleine, Saint-Vincent

The excavations begun in 2003 to identify the protohistoric settlement located at the foot of the rocky pyramid of Mont Tantané were followed by six search campaigns - until 2010 - and are still far from being complete.
Interesting legendary traditions refer to this site, locally known as Le Reparé du Tantané.
The settlement of Mont Tantané is made up of two different and contiguous groups of huts, separated by a short slope. The upper group (“morena” [moraine], 2441 m above sea level), presents a series of 25 adjoining huts, aligned roughly north-south direction, and has a valley bordered by two moraine ridges at the foot of the scree slope of Mont Tantané. The lower range (“abitato” [settlement], 2425-79 m above sea level) is placed on a large terraced hillside sloping down to the north. Excavations so far have revealed 10 huts on the terraced summit of the town and 3 huts on the terrace immediately below. It is estimated that the whole of the town could include about fifty huts, a much larger number than the higher group of the moraine. On the whole it’s a very considerable settlement, because of the altitude of its location.
The huts were built in dry walls, using elongated blocks of about 60 cm. Their shape is very variable, from square to rectangular, oval, circular, polygonal. They are usually adjacent, to form small groups or arrays. It is not yet clear the type of their coverage, which was probably wooden.
The archaeological remains found in the huts include pottery, tools made by ollare stone, iron, bronze and some Celtic coins. There are also wooden objects and abundant testimonies of edible seeds (cereals, legumes). These remains allow us to date the abandonment of the settlement to the first century BC, which is the final phase of the Iron Age, while at the present state of research, the period of its foundation is not known yet.
However, the biggest question about this high altitude seasonal settlement is about its function, apart from those of mountain pasture; some economic activities have probably developed in relation to the resources on the site, but military-strategic, land control or shelter functions cannot be excluded.

The mills of La Magdeleine still preserve a great charm, reminding us of ancient times, when mills were the hub of country life.
In the hamlets of Brengon, Clou and Messelod, aligned by a small stream of water that comes from a source underneath Monte Tantané, there are eight mills; seven of them have been renovated and three, like they did a long time ago, are today able again to grind grains, that in the past were harvested on the sunny slopes of the hills that surrounded the town.
The origins of these buildings were lost during the centuries, but they are certainly very old, just like the first human settlements in the hamlets of the current municipality of La Magdeleine.
The importance of mills in rural economy is confirmed also by the fact that frequently, the right to use windmill for a certain period of time was transferred with the ownership of a field or portion of land.
The peculiarity of mills is also the fact that they were placed in a “chain” form, in order to better use the little water available at the time: this evidently also conditioned the “technology” used: these watermills have a horizontal hydraulic wheel without gears or other mechanisms, as opposed to millstones.
Furthermore, in order to better use the little water available, it was necessary that all eight mills carry out their activities almost at the same time: following this method the result was basically that of multiplying by eight the working capacity of water. Therefore precise “Mill user’s regulations” were set whereby methods and operational timing were established in addition to the rights of participants or owners.
According to a diffused custom, also the mills of La Magdeleine had names that derived from their location, the owners or from the families who let them build.
Starting from the mill on the highest position, the names that were found thanks to the memories of town elders are the following: moulin hatu, moulin d’Arfonse, moulin of Tonne, moulin of Chioset, moulin de la Place, moulin of Mule and moulin of Messelou.

During the summer are open the first three mills to discover with free visits. For groups and school groups it is possible to organize guided tours, contact the qualified tourist guides of the Aosta Valley included in the “regional lists”.

In three of the five hamlets there are public ovens. They belong to the municipality and may be used by following a few simple rules.At Messelod the oven is located on the road a bit before the Chapel of S. Rocco.The oven basically comes with a nice recently renovated rascard and maintains all aspects of an age-old Valdostan oven thanks to a skilful renovation.The opening or “mouth” of the oven has a triangular shape and was made by using a stone for each side of the triangle; on the floor, directly below the mouth a slot was made to gather the embers.On a stone the date 1889 is engraved.Going towards the upper villages, there is a two-storey stone building in the heart of Vieu:a modern renovation of the oven was carried out making it more convenient and functional.The oven is located on the ground floor, whilst an iron and wood staircase leads to the upper floor, where the kneading and leavening room for bread was made.Another recently restored oven is in the hamlet of Artaz, close to the rustic fountain that, going up towards the other villages, is located on the left.Also in this oven, just like the one of Messelod, there isn’t a room dedicated to the kneading and leavening of bread.Long ago, for the self-sufficient characteristics that distinguished the life of a small community like the one in La Magdeleine, in each of the five villages there was certainly one or more private and group ovens.It was tradition that each family would bake the bread that they needed for an entire year in only one occasion, starting from the first days of December.The bread was therefore preserved on wooden racks known as “ratéle” and broken only when it was consumed with a special tool:the “copapan”.The passing of time and lesser use of this tradition have considerably reduced the number of ovens.Those that still work come in different sizes but all have the same building characteristics.You can particularly notice how the front part of the oven guarantees a good shelter against rain or snow.The space used to gather the ashes was always very large. In fact, the ashes were never thrown away but used for “fae bouya”: the household laundry.

This chapel dating from 1739 and created thanks to the will of Anna Maria Vittaz Dujany, isdedicated to Our Lady of the Snow.
Built on a rather sloped land, often requires maintenance work to raise the structure. We recommend a stop at the old churchyard surrounded by stone walls, all lying in the shadow of leafy trees. Access is via a steep, stone stairway that has become worn over time: the panorama before your eyes is splendid both in terms of beauty and serenity.
The fairly bare inside is decorated with a piece depicting the Virgin Mary with Child with a saint and Saint Gratus at her feet.
A few meters away, on the mule track leading to Antey-Saint-André through Herin, one can admire the oratory dedicated to Notre Dame de Tout Pouvoir, built where the plague of 1630 stopped, thereby saving the “magdeleins”.

La Magdeleine was part of the parish of Antey-Saint-André up to 1789. However, as early as 1774 the parish church was erected and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, which also inspired the name of the municipality.
Already in 1795 the parish priest Joseph Grange had an embankment built around the church to treat the humidity that crawled along the walls. In 1816 the floor were raised by 1.80 metres and resulted in the construction of a 12 step entrance.
Other transformations took place, from the visit of the appointee to Mons. Duc, F. Marco Benchod, who mentioned the restoration work and an extension facing the mountain. In fact, the choir was moved to the east and the nave became more spacious. The work was carried out in 1886, while the current portico dates from a few years ago.

It is the oldest chapel of the village, dedicated to Saint Rocco. Notary documents date its foundation back to the 7th June 1672 on an initiative by Michele Messelod. The building is fairly small in size.
The external facade has three paintings: on the left Saint Rocco with the dog which, according to legend, gives him bread, in the middle Jesus on the Cross and on the rightside Saint Sebastian pierced with arrows. Over these, the symbol of the Divine Trinity and the inscription “year 1827” (an age corresponding to significant restoration works).
Inside, there is an altar piece dated 1673 depicting the Virgin Mary with Saints Rocco and Sebastian to the sides. A large, wooden crucifix is located right in the centre of the chapel, supported by a chain from a beam, in which Jesus is bleeding over his entire body, in line with the usual devotions of that time. Two small wooden and partially gilded statues representing unidentifiable saints complete the sacred furnishing of the chapel.

La Magdeleine in miniature, the embossed plastic in 1:87 scale illustrating faithfully every little detail of the village of the Matterhorn Valley can be admired at the Town Hall.

Its creator, Mario Castelli, “ a retired-artist, has chosen to live in La Magdeleine in 1990, after working for a long time as a glassmaker for prestigious French and Belgian companies. For about twenty years he’s been working four or five hours a day in a room of the town hall to realize a miniature masterpiece, the model of La Magdeleine with its five villages.

Everything has been reproduced: the parish church, the 200 buildings, the town hall, the green areas, roads, mills, streams, even the Magdeleins and holidaymakers (some have recognized themselves, leaning out from balconies, while chatting with each other or walking with the dog…).

La Magdeleine's costume is based on the holiday clothes used by the peasants belonging to the house of Cly, branch of the noble feudal Challand family.

On the apron are depicted, intertwined, five flowers that symbolize the villages of La Magdeleine: the gentian for Messelod, the daisy for Clou, the anemone for Brengon, the scrub rose for Vieu, the edelweiss for Artaz. The costume is completed by a white wool shawl and a cap on which only the flower relating to the village to which the costume refers is embroidered.

The archaeological site beneath the parish church of Saint-Vincent is testimony to a continuous occupation starting from the first settlements dating back to the Late Bronze Age / Iron Age. In Roman times (2nd- 4th centuries AD), various buildings with a thermal function were discovered.
After the beginning of the 5th century AD, the area was occupied by tombs, typical of early Christianity, that were positioned from east to west.
Their presence seems to have led to the foundation of a first funerary building. Further stages of burial followed in the 7th and 8th centuries, prior to the erection of the Romanesque church.

Visitors can discover the site using a didactic route fitted with information panels and multimedia support.

La collina di Saint-Vincent annovera con orgoglio, nel corpo dei suoi numerosi villaggi, diversi raccard, granai con un’area centrale, per lavorare il grano, simili a quelli della Valle d’Ayas.

In effetti, nel XVII secolo e all’inizio del XVIII, su entrambi i versanti del Col di Joux, lavoravano gli stessi carpentieri. Inoltre, numerose famiglie intrattenevano rapporti e le abitazioni, fossero esse in pietra o in legno, appartenevano alla medesima area culturale.

I terreni nelle vicinanze dei villaggi della collina erano coltivati a cereali e fieno. A pochi passi dalle case si trovava un bacino idrico, scavato nella terra, che veniva riempito con l’acqua del Ru (Rio) della montagna, proveniente dai ghiacciai di Ayas. Il Ru Courthod passa proprio al Col di Joux, dopo aver percorso quasi 27 km lungo una pendenza assai dolce, attraverso i pascoli, i boschi e le rocce.

I villaggi di Lérinon, Crétamignanaz et Valmignanaz sono tra i meglio conservati. Consentono di compiere un percorso ad anello e osservare tre tipi di borghi abitativi: Lerinon con il suo forno per il pane e le sue grandi abitazioni in pietra dalle funzioni polivalenti; un po’ più in basso Crétamignanaz, un villaggio abbandonato, appartenente un tempo ad una sola famiglia e, infine, Valmignanaz che presenta diversi esempi di raccard con un’area di trebbiatura centrale, granai in aggetto e ceppi di sopraelevazione su una casa di due o tre piani in muratura, ospitante la stalla dabbasso e gli alloggi al piano superiore. Valmignanaz gode del vantaggio d’essere collocato sul ciglio della strada del Col di Joux e poter approfittare del parcheggio di Grun.

The imposing ruins that are visible along the state road leading to Montjovet, give some hint of the ancient majesty of the bridge and recall how the Gallie consular road also crossed this part of the valley.

Only the left hand shoulder of the original construction over the Cillian river remains today, the central arch collapsed in 1839.

Noteworthy due to its elegant design and completed in small sized square slabs, the bridge must have been important not only for the natural function it served, but also as a sign of power and constructive solidity.

Built in the heart of the village, on land where an old, public press once stood.

Completed in 1954, this family chapel dedicated to the Holy Innocents was built by the couple Thérèse and Vincent Gorris as a votive offering during World War II.

The facade was frescoed by the Valdostane painter Italo Mus. An appeal in French on the side to the north invites passers-by to reflect.
The secluded interior is completely covered in cobblestones taken from the Dora. There is large painting in the middle, a work by Italo Mus, depicting the Virgin Mary wrapped in a red cloak while crushing a snake. There are two altars worth noting (the original one has a sculpture of the Sacred Heart and an altar built according to liturgical reform directives, facing followers) and two stained glass windows depicting the patron saints of the Gorris couple, Vincenzo and Teresa.

Located at the heart of the Saint-Vincent hillside.

The construction of the sanctuary came from an idea around 1720 by the priest Pierre Bréan, who was vice parish priest in the village from 1705 to 1713 and greatly devoted to the Virgin Mary. In an agreement stipulated in 1725, the inhabitants of Grun and Valmignana committed to providing the land and the materials necessary, while Reverend Bréan committed to paying the works and furnishing the chapel. The temple was completed in 1727; participants at the inauguration festivities included the abbot Jean-Baptiste Perret, who in 1770 discovered the thermal water source.
The sanctuary quickly became a place of pilgrimage and votive offerings continued to increase, which were brought by followers who asked for gracious healing or conversion.

Extended in 1864, this small church has a nave, a choir, a sacristy and a small choir loft. There are plenty of votive offerings on the walls, beside the Carrying of the Cross; the brick altar, lying between four columns, once hosted a large painting of Mary, however it was stolen in 1992. Today, a shelf hosts a statue of the Virgin Mary in walnut which was a gift from a devotee.
Outside, a retracted area forms a porch. Worth noting, the fresco by Mus depicting the Virgin Mary welcoming pilgrims with open arms.

There were once numerous processions from the village of Saint-Vincent to Grun sanctuary; we particularly recall one at the end of May and the “rain” procession appealing for rain and for it to stop.

Situated in the town of Moron, on the Saint-Vincent hillside.

Its current structure, with a large circular apse, dates back to the XV century, when important changes were made to a probable, pre-existing Romanesque building. For some time it conserved certain parish church prerogatives (festive functions and cemetery), even though it was never a parish church.

The apse vault has a beautiful series of ribbed stone. Recent restoration removed the modern structures and decor, in an attempt to restore the church to its original appearance.
In the past, on Easter Monday, the so-called “vineyard procession” took place, which in almost six hours passed through all the villages and chapels on the Saint-Vincent hillside.

Built by the Benedictines in the XI century in Romanesque style, the church was subject to multiple architectures one over the another, but also some significant modern restoration (1968 - 1972).

It is located on the structures of a Roman building, brought to light during recent restoration and which dates back to 300-400 A.D. It could have been a huge Patrician villa or a public building; it has a dual heating system using air blown under the floor, which was used to heat the “calidarium”.
The archaeological site under the church is currently closed.

Inside, there is a huge, clear contrast between the sobriety of the environment and the wealth of decorative paintings in the absidal area. The nave is divided into a succession of alternating columns in square, circular and polygonal shapes.

The church was originally without vaults (they date from 1696) and the current, large windows. The roof was held up by visible beams or the coffered ceiling and light used to pass discretely through the high, narrow, vaulted windows that are double recessed. The groin vaulted arch that overhangs the altar is fake, although rather old. The triumphant arch, probably in the XIII century, restricted the absidal area due to its framework and considerably reduced the area of the underneath crypt, a mystical with three small naves, each with three arches whose small, stone columns support capitals dating from the VIII century.

The oldest frescoes in the church are those in the north absidioles, by Iacopo Jacquerio (or his school), dated 1416. Also in the XV century Giacomino of Ivrea painted the triumphant arch with a cycle of doctors of the church, saints and prophets. Decorations were added over these paintings, which were dull and plastered, by Filippo da Varallo towards the end of the XVI century and are still visible today (partly, thanks to restorations in the Seventies), once covering the entire presbytery basin.

Christ on the Cross in the presbytery is a bronze work of art by Luciano Minguzzi.

With the new museum layout, the visitor is guided through a path to discover the symbolic places of local religiosity, such as the parish church and the numerous village chapels, from which the art objects on display come from, witnesses of faith and local popular devotion.
You can admire wooden sculptures and other works of art ranging from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, such as the splendid goldsmiths.

This chapel is located a few km from Col de Joux, starting from Saint Vincent.

Building work for the Amay Shrine of the Partisans begun in 1951 and ended in 1962; it was commissioned by a leader partisan belonging to one of the oldest families in Saint Vincent, Edoardo Page (1899-1977). His idea was to reunite a few of the people who had fought with him, even after their deaths, in the close-by cemetery. A big stone slab is located on the façade, displaying the writing “Ai caduti per la libertà 9-9-1943 / 25-4-1945”.

The single-nave building hosts a large fresco, carried out by Lucio Bulgarelli, displaying human figures placed alongside a flaming, lit globe; a rainbow symbolising peace detaches from it and bears the word “Libertà”, with the date “1961”. The cone-shaped, stone bell tower is noteworthy.

Built by the inhabitants of Écrivin, Moulin and other districts on the bank of the Grand-Valey to appeal for protection in an area subject to river flooding.

Dedicated by its founders to St. Michael and after the extension of 1747, dedicated to Our Lady of the Snow, the chapel in the past called the “Sanctuary” was of huge importance to residents and various bequests linked to it (in particular, donations to celebrate masses). Yet, the temple was not a rich one. In fact, according to a document from 1866, the church treasury requested the funds necessary for immediate restoration work by calling upon the heirs to the ancient founders in 1747 and reminded them of the signed commitment.

Worth noting, the large fresco that covers the facade with a scene from the Last Judgement. There is a characteristic, little bell-tower on the projecting roof.

Il “Coro Saint-Vincent”, chiamato in origine “Coro Monte Zerbion”, è nato nel 1965 per volontà di un gruppo di amici appassionati del canto di montagna.
Il repertorio di questo Coro maschile spazia dai canti valdostani alle canzoni savoiarde, trentine e venete, comprende brani del patrimonio polifonico sacro e profano e composizioni originali dei maestri che si sono avvicendati alla sua guida.
Dal 2004 il Coro è diretto dal Maestro Corrado Margutti.
Il Coro ha partecipato ad importanti manifestazioni nazionali ed internazionali (in Francia, Svizzera e negli USA).

La cantautrice Maura Susanna, considerata la voce più genuina dell’animo popolare valdostano, si è rivelata ancora dodicenne alla gara “Microfono libero” organizzata dai Padri Canossiani di Saint-Vincent. Nei primi anni ’70 partecipò con successo a diversi concorsi canori e nel ’73 una sua canzone fu inserita nel 33 giri compilation del “Cantagiugno Eporediese”.
Per qualche anno trascurò l’attività musicale per dedicarsi al teatro, in patois (ne “La veillà de Tsateilon”) e in italiano (nella compagnia “L’Arca” di Saint-Vincent).
Su invito di Luis de Jyaryot, tornò alla musica nel 1980 in occasione di un concerto di beneficenza per i terremotati della Campania. Nel 1982 fondò la cooperativa “Ambrokal” con Jyaryot, Bessolo, Bianchedi, Servodidio e i Trouveurs e nel 1983 pubblicò il 33 giri “Fables de nos jours”, dedicato alle canzoni di Maguì Bétemps, la prima cantautrice valdostana. In quel periodo cominciò ad esibirsi in Italia (Roma, Palermo, Bari, Foggia) e all’estero (Londra, Parigi, Tokyo).
Nel repertorio di Maura Susanna, accanto alle canzoni della cultura popolare valdostana, sono entrati brani popolari di tutto il mondo, cantati in francese, catalano, creolo, spagnolo e giapponese. L’intenzione è quella di cantare i sentimenti, gli stati d’animo di tutti gli uomini, utilizzando la musica, che è il linguaggio più universale.
Dal 1988 l’attività musicale di questa cantautrice di straordinario talento si è diradata per gli impegni legati alla gestione di un ristorante al Col de Joux. Il ’95 tuttavia è stato segnato da due eventi degni di nota: la pubblicazione del CD “Il viaggio” e l’incontro con Joan Baez.
Il successo dei concerti tenuti negli ultimi anni al cinema Giacosa per la “Saison Culturelle” o al “Palais Saint-Vincent”, nel settembre 99, testimonia il grande affetto che il pubblico valdostano nutre per Maura.
L’ultimo successo discografico dell’artista è stato l’album “Terra mia” del 2011.

The Museum aims to collect, classify and make known the minerals of the Aosta Valley and a number of crystals and semi-precious stones from around the world.
It currently has about 750 pieces on display, most of which come from the mountains near Saint-Vincent, in particular from Mount Barbeston, from Emarèse, from Brusson and Champorcher, all sites known to be rich in minerals.
The rarest and most beautiful pieces come from gold, iron and magnetite mines, now abandoned.
The museum also has a collection of about 170 fossils.