Town of Aosta

Aosta is the chief town of region Valle d’aosta and it’s placed in a wonderful alpine valley, surrounded by Mount Emilius (3559 mt), by Becca di Viou (2858 mt.) and by Becca di Nona (3142). The town rises in the centre of the region, at the confluence of Dora Baltea with torrent Buthier, coming from Valpelline. The presence of the alpine passes of Piccolo and Gran San Bernardo made the town, since the ancient times,
an important strategic knot for transports; And this still remains today thank to the presence of the tunnels of Monte Bianco and of Gran San Bernardo.
Mountain are really within reach because there is a cable way that in 20 minutes brings from the centre of Aosta to the grasses and woods and to the ski lift of Pila, where you can spend your day among the different mountain sports, both in summer and in winter.
A piece of ancient Rome in the Alps, the most important example of Roman architecture in Northern Italy: a surprise for the lovers of this kind of things. They are from the age of Augusta Praetoria, the Roman colony that lead to the town also the orthogonal urban plan, visible in the centre of the town. But Aosta ahas also important mediaeval remains, churches and mansions of feudal lords who for hundred years disputed for the
domain of the valley. Many of them are concentrated inside the Roman walls, that encircle the most of the historical centre, but we can’t forget some areas in the West and East part of Aosta, where were find (also recently) important settlements.

Town of Sarre

By the end of Aosta valley extends the Commune of Sarre, that from the bottom valley passed by the Dora Baltea, ascends on the mountainside on the left since the 3061 m. of Mont-Fallère, with an exstention of 28 km2. The good exposition of these lends permitted since the ancient time to found many village now surrounded by extended orchards and vineyards. The name “Sarre” to some authors comes from the pre-roman word sarra, with the meaning “closed among the mountains”, to others it comes from Celtic sal, with the meaning of “home” or "fortress".

Town of Saint Christophe

It’s a big commune of the bottom valley, put on the eastern border of the chief town, with whom it has now its continuation so that it’s hard to distinguish the real borders. Thanks to its favourable exposition at the sun, that mitigates its climate, it has become an important residential centre, an idea confirmed by the past: there have been many Roman remains, while the Sorreley castle, with its tower, dated XIII century, is a classical example of mansion, now owned by the family Passerin d’Entrèves. Another important mansion, Villa della Frissonnière, had an important owner: Jean-Baptiste De Tillier, secretary at the Conseil des Commis for over 40 years and founder of modern historiography of Aosta, died in 1745. An important institution has born during Middle Ages in the territories of St. Cristophe: the so called hospital of the maladière. It was a sort of charitatable institution, charged to shelter and heal the lepers, but already in XIV century it begin its decay, just to come to the disappearing of its structures, that only resist in papers of archive. The only “solid” witness that came to us is the tombstone of Bisoph Grato (Saint Grato, protector of the episcopate of Aosta), that is dated V Century. Originally posed in the Early Christian church of Saint Lorenzo (the one desecrated in front of the church of Saint Orso in Aosta), the tombstone had been put in the maladière when the saint’s relics were transferred and collected in a urn. Now the tombstone of Saint Grato is visible in the church of Saint Cristophe.