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  • Les Crêtes Wines

    Les Crêtes' History: Originally from France, the Charrère family moved in the mid 1700s to what is now the Aosta Valley of Italy. They started out as farmers and millers, establishing a home site and building a water powered mill on their property in...

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Aymavilles

Description

The name derives from the Germanic name of a person Aymo and it means Villa of Aymo. It is a mountain town made up of many villages and districts located in the Valle di Cogne, in an elevated position which features a climate suitable for the cultivation of vines, that produce an important red, called turrets. It is located 640 meters above sea level and is surrounded by meadows and orchards. The town is dominated by the imposing castle, surrounded by a park. In less than half an hour from Aymavilles it is possible to reach the nearby cross-country ski trails. Walking around the area one can admire the many testimonies of the rural culture: ovens and stone fountains (the oldest is Vercellod and dates back to 1841), the old mill town in Charriere Moulins, the remains of the quarry in Bardiglio from where the green stone used for the construction of the ancient Augusta Praetoria was extracted, as well as "ru", which are small irrigation channels. In many villages it is possible to admire old chapels and oratories of fine workmanship.
As in general throughout the Val d'Aosta, also in Aymavilles the first inhabitants settled in the area since prehistoric ages. Recently some caverns have been found with traces of carvings probably of the Neolithic age. The first people who inhabited the area joined the Celts, that settled here from the heart of Europe between the VIII and V centuries B.C., and formed the People of Salassi, a strong population of warriors, that were beaten around the I century B.C. by the Romans. The Romans had realized the strategic importance of the area which was one of the easiest route to cross the Alps. In later centuries came the Goths, the Franks (under whose rule the region became part of the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne) the Lombards and the dukes of Burgundy, until Umberto Biancamano became, in 1032, Count of Aosta. Followed infighting among the local lords, ended when it became a possession of the Savoy. Introd was dominated by the House of Sarriod, in whose hands had been met as Lord of La Tour During the XVI and the XIX centuries the region suffered epidemics and wars, and it was ceded to the French Republic in 1798 and was part of the French Empire 1804 and 1814. With the restoration of the Savoy, Intra was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia, which in 1861 became the Kingdom of Italy.

Not to miss:

The Castle, situated on a hill with a dominating position, originally built in the XIII century, it consisted of a square tower surrounded by walls, then it was enlarged by request of Aimone Challant, who had received the fief of Aymavilles from Amadeus VI, and four cylindrical towers were added with battlements on the sides in order to strengthen the structure and a double wall with moat and drawbridge. In the XVIII century it became a private mansion.
The Parish Church of Saint Martin, cited for the first time in a document dated 1176, it was rebuilt in the XVIII century with the stones of the old fortified house of the nobles of Alliances, located at Tour d'Alliances offered by Joseph-Felix de Challant, Baron of Aymavilles. The main altar dates from the second half of the XVIII century and it was carved by brothers Ferrario, the façade is decorated with a fresco depicting Christ between Saint Martin and Saint Lèger, produced by Nino Pirlo in 1968. The tower was partially amended in 1833.
The Church of St. Lèger, features a façade entirely covered with frescoes, some seem to go back to the period of the first settlement of the Benedictines in Val d'Aosta, which was already present in '800. It results in a historical document of 1145. The present building dates back to 1760 and consists of a nave with vaulted ceilings, decorations dating from the second half of the XIX century, which were produced by the painter Grange. Of the same period is also the altar by the sculptor Freydoz and the organ of 1848. The Bell Tower of the late Renaissance period in stone, detached from the church, is a square base building with an octagonal pyramid-shaped spire. The bell is one of the most ancient of Val d'Aosta, it dates back to 1372. The church houses a crypt with two aisles separated by pillars of stone. The original structure dates from the VIII century.
Pont d'Ael. The Roman aqueduct of Pondel over the river Grand Eyvia, built in the Augustan period, around year 3 B.C., to carry water to the plains of Aosta. It is one of the best preserved monuments. A major work in masonry and stone blocks, approx. 56 meters high and more than 50 meters long with a dual function of a pedestrian crossing and an aqueduct. The covered walkway, built into the walls, has a width of about one meter and is lit by slits on both sides, the channel top, exposed and covered with waterproof sheets, allow the water flow.
The Tornalla, a building with a round tower dating from the XV century, is situated in the village of Ozein and was probably a fortified house.
The Chapel of Santa Barbara and Santa Margherita in Sylvenoire erected in 1873.
The Chapel of St. Grato in Vyeies, mentioned for the first time in a history book in 1693, the original building was replaced in 1855 by the structure today.

The Chapel of St. Andrew in the village of Pont d'Ael, mentioned in a history book in 1693, but definitely older.
The Chapel of Saints Teodulo and Barbara in Ozein, documented in a history book in 1454, the construction was rebuilt in the XVIII century, the tower probably dates from the XVI century.
The Chapel of St. Anne in Cerignan founded in 1749.
The Chapel of Santa Barbara and Santa Margherita in Vercellod which was probably built around 1630.
The Chael of Turlin built in 1631 and rebuilt from scratch in 1819.
The Notre Dame des sept douleurs de la Combaz Donnaz, which was built in 1884.

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