L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano V alle d'Aosta is k n o w n f o r i t s beautiful moun- tains and for the ancient Roman heritage of its most important town, Aosta. Architecture and history lovers, however, are probably also familiar with its majestic castles: according to 19th-century Piemontese p l a y w r i g h t a n d h i s t o r i a n Giuseppe Giacosa, there are 72 castles, fortified hous- es, and keeps in the main val- ley of the region, and more along the smaller ones. The oldest among them is the Tour de l'Archet (10th century), in Morgex, while the most recent is the Castello Jocteau, also known as the Castello Duca degli Abruzzi, or Castello Generale Cantore, erected in the early 20th cen- tury in an eclectic style remi- niscent of Medieval architec- ture, and today home to the Aosta's Scuola Militare Alpina. However, the vast majority of the region's castles were built in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, between the 11th and the 15th century, and belonged to powerful families of the area: some of them are b e a u t i f u l l y p r e s e r v e d a n d open to the public, while of many others only some ves- tiges remain. All of them rep- resent an important slice of local history and an incredible attraction for visitors. The castles of Valle d' Aosta are among the most significant examples of medieval archi- tecture in Europe, and luckily for us, a good number of them a r e o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c throughout the year, with only a handful of them being private residences. Others s t i l l m a y n o t b e v i s i t a b l e inside, but visitors can still enjoy a walk around their courtyards and take in the beauty of their architecture and location. The most famous among the region's castles is proba- bly the Castello di Fénis, located in the homonymous village. Built between the 14th and the 15th century in a location without any natur- al defense - something quite peculiar for the times, when castles were, more often than not, both residential and d e f e n s i v e s t r u c t u r e s - i t belonged to the Challant- Fénis family. Some believe that its role was primarily that of showing off the fami- ly's power and wealth and that it didn't really serve any logistic or military function. Easy to defend or not, the castle is charmingly found on top of a hill surrounded by luscious fields, with some historians believing a Roman villa may have been there b e f o r e t h e c a s t l e . T h a t wouldn't be that unexpected if we take into account the R o m a n p a s t o f t h e a r e a . After a century of neglect, the castle was eventually bought and restored by Afre- d o d ' A n d r a d e w h o t h e n donated it to the state. Near the charming hamlet of Gressoney-Saint-Jean, we find the fairytale-like Castel Savoia, once known to be t h e f a v o r i t e r e s i d e n c e o f Queen Margherita - yes, the o n e p i z z a M a r g h e r i t a i s named after! Castel Savoia was built between 1899 and 1 9 0 4 , a t t h e f e e t o f C o l l e della Ranzola, in a place k n o w n a s " B e l v e d e r e " because of the impressive views one can enjoy over the whole valley. Its five towers and its alpine gardens are reminiscent of what you'd find in a tale of fairy queens a n d c o u r a g e o u s k n i g h t s . Quite simply breathtaking. The Castello di Issogne is, perhaps, the best-known among the Valley's castles w i t h t h a t o f F é n i s . I t belonged for centuries to the Challant family, a branch of which owned the Castello di Fénis itself. It is located in the hamlet of La Place, near Issogne. Its first structures were built in the 12th centu- ry, but the castle we can still see today is a quintessential residence of the Renaissance. Throughout the centuries, t h e o r i g i n a l n u c l e u s w a s expanded to create a horse- shoe-shaped building with a central courtyard, enriched by an Italian-style garden. The castle enjoyed its heyday in the 16th and 17th cen- turies but was then aban- doned, following a fate simi- lar to that of its "cousin" in Fénis. Eventually, it was sold at a public auction to Vittorio A v o n d o , a p a i n t e r f r o m Turin, in 1872: thanks to his interest and commitment, the castle was fully restored and returned to its original beauty. Today, the exterior walls facing its internal courtyard still bear vestiges of the 14th- century frescoes that once decorated them. However, the most famous of its fea- t u r e s i s p r o b a b l y t h e Fontana del Melograno, the fountain of the pomegranate, a fruit symbol of fertility and prosperity. The castle's inte- r i o r s a r e s p l e n d i d l y p r e - served and they strike for the magnificence of their decora- tions and frescoes. Last but not certainly least in this very short overview of Valle d'Aosta's most beauti- ful castles, we should men- tion the Forte di Bard, a majestic fortified structure dating back from the 11th century, which was almost fully rebuilt by the Savoia in the 19th century. Indeed, it served its defensive and mili- tary duties almost continu- ously until 1830. The fortress strikes for its structure and layout, which take up the whole side and top of a hill overlooking the village of Bard. Today the fortress is home to the Museo delle Alpi and it hosts numerous art exhibits throughout the year. During the summer theatre plays and music con- certs often take place in its courtyard. Among the other castles in the region worth a visit, we should mention the Castello di Verrès, the Castello di Ussel, the Castello di Cly, the Castello Reale di Sarre, the d r e a m - l i k e C a s t e l l o d i Aymavilles and the Castello Sarriod de la Tour. For more information, you can visit the Valle d'Aosta Tourist B o a r d w e b s i t e a t : w w w . r e g i o n e . v d a . i t / c u l - tura/patrimonio/castelli/. The breathtaking Fenis Castle, in Valle d'Aosta (Photo: Marco Saracco/Dreamstime) Italy's own Loire: Valle d'Aosta and its castles Medieval weapons, as those used at the times when Valle d'Aosta's most beautiful castles were built (Photo: Andrea Migliarini/Dreamstime) LUCA SIGNORINI ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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