Heritage: Saint-Marcel

This example of a late “mono-block” castle, probably built in the fourteenth century, stands on a plateau at a crossroads of paths leading along the valley bottom and the roads towards the larger valley located to the south, known since Medieval times for the presence of iron, bronze and manganese mines.
Closely linked to the Challant family, the castle was passed to the Bianco di San Secondo family in the seventeenth century to then be acquired by the mine exploration society in the eighteenth century, and finally becoming a municipal property in the twentieth century.
Steadily going to ruin as a result of its progressive neglect, today the building appears in a poor state of conservation.
The intervention campaign aims to make the entire complex safe by reinforcing the eastern side and the tower, with plans for restoration of the partially collapsed southern side.

The place which hosts the sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna of Plout in Saint-Marcel has been worshipped since the fourteenth century: a statue of the Madonna was found there and in the seventeenth century a miraculously cured builder constructed the first church.

The sanctuary can be reached in a few minutes by car from the main town along the road going up to Druges.

the site is temporarily closed.

The Viviminiera Information Centre is located in the municipal building of Saint-Marcel in Prélaz and lets visitors get to know and explore the Servette mining reality through an evocative, stimulating themed trail.

Thanks to interactive and multimedia solutions, following new popular science trends, the information centre alternates between various environments that lead visitors to learn about the subjects on display, prioritising easy-to-read, highly perceptive displays, such as highly immersive video projections, dioramas, scale models and large images.

The stages of the “Viviminiera” centre

• Reception area
• Scale model of the Municipality of Saint-Marcel with an immersive video projection
• The geology and mines of the Aosta Valley (map)
• The mining of millstones (diorama and video animation)
• The mill, its structure and operations (model of the mill and video animation)
• The Servette mines “the story as told by the people themselves” (video)
• An “emotional” journey inside the Servette tunnels (video installation)
• Mining techniques (diorama and video animation)
• Metallurgy and mineral processing (model furnace)
• Mining transport (1:50 scale diorama of the cableway)
• Recreation of the cableway (full scale diorama)
• Test area
• Geology area for recognising rocks and minerals
• Video projection room

The centre is enhanced by a classroom so areas can be studied in more detail after the tour for groups and any type of school or class.

The tour is free and lasts about 40 minutes.

Wide parking opposite the municipal building.
The “Viviminiera” Centre can be accessed via public transport.
The “Viviminiera” Centre is about 15 km from the entrance of the Servette mining site (roughly 30 minutes by car).