Ibleto of Challant began work in 1390 on the castle and in 1536 Renato of Challant renovated the defence structures, adapting them for modern fire arms, plus he built a boundary wall with a battery, buttresses and five-sided attack towers, suitable for use with the canon and springalds cast in the Count of Challant’s fiefdom in Valangin, Switzerland. He also added an inner gate, a drawbridge and loopholes. He also created in addition new gates with Spanish-inspired Moorish arches. The interiors were enhanced with new furnishings. Renato of Challant died leaving no male heirs in 1565, which is when the castle was taken over by the Savoy family. In 1661 Duke Charles Emmanuel II ordered the dismantling of weapons and their transfer to the fortress in Bard, a strategic point where the defense of Valle d‘Aosta was concentrated.
The Challant heirs regained possession of the castle in 1696 and kept it until the end of the family line at the start of the 19th century. At that time the castle had been abandoned for almost two centuries: the roof, which was already in partial collapse, was demolished completely to avoid paying duty on the structure, and so the upper floors were exposed to the elements. Like the castles of Issogne and Fénis, this castle was rescued by a group of Piedmont intellectuals with a common love for the Middle Ages.
After going through the outer door which opens in the fortified wall, which is also accessible on horseback across the drawbridge, one arrives at the guard’s building opposite the castle entrance. The portal leads down a protected hallway which brings you to a second door that provides access to the castle courtyard. Surrounding this square, the main building is arranged in a ring on three floors, connected via a monumental stone staircase set on rampant arches. The structure is done in green and white stone decoration and is consistent with military character of the building. The whole displays the excellent work of the craftsmenfrom Verrès.
On the ground floor, two large symmetrical halls occupy the entire east and west wings of the castle, while the kitchen is located in the south. The east barrel-vaulted hall was probably used to store weapons and housed the Knights. The vaulted weapons room in the west wing seems to be lodging for the soldiers for there are two monumental fireplaces with moulded jambs.
The first-floor were used by the lords of the castle and are illuminated by elegant 13th-century mullioned windows, which are larger than those on other floors. The large dining hall is connected to the master kitchen by way of a serving hatch. In the kitchen there are three large fireplaces and multiple ribbed vaulted ceiling reconstructed during the time of Renato of Challant. It is the only original ceiling in the castle. One other feature worth noting is the extraordinarily large north fireplace that is richly decorated with molding and small pillars.
On the second floor (not open to visitors) are the servants’ quarters, connected to the lower floor by a wooden staircase.
Each year the castle is the prestigious backdrop for the Historic Carnival of Verrès, with the re-enactment of the epic of Countess Caterina of Challant.
Forte di Bard
As early as 6th century A.D during Theodoric’s reign sixty armed soldiers were garrisoned to defend the “Clausuræ Augustanæ” (a defense system set up to protect the borders of the Empire) in (not yet named) Bard.
In 1034 it was described in one of the oldest references to a castle in Valle d‘Aosta. The Savoy family became the Lords of Bard in 1242 under Amadeus IV when driven by the insistence of the local inhabitants who were tired of the abuse of power of Hugh of Bard who exploited the position of his castle to levy heavy duties on travelers and merchants.
From that time on, the castle was always controlled by the Savoy family who held a garrison there for its strategic location. In 1661 the armies from other fortresses in Aosta Valley, including Verrès and Montjovet, converged in Bard.
The castle took on renewed importance when in May 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte arrived to find a garrison of 400 Austrian men within the fortress. The defense structures of the fort were so efficient that Napoleon’s army took two weeks to overcome the Austrian defenses, due to cunning tactics. The fortress was then dismantled by Napoleon, to avoid further problems.
The current appearance of the fort is the result of reconstruction work commissioned by Carlo Felice which, from 1830 onwards has turned it into one of the largest military structures in Valle d‘Aosta. The fortress began to deteriorate at the end of the nineteenth century. It was used as a prison and then as a weapons depot. It was decommissioned in 1975 from military state property and was purchased by the Valle d‘Aosta regional authority in 1990.
Now completely renovated since 2006, the fortress is the host to a museum with permanent and temporary exhibitions
NOTES:
1 BARD ROCK --
2 BARD FORT --
3THE SIEGE OF BARD --
4 CASA NICOLE – Bullet holes dating back to the siege of 1800 are still visible on the walls of Casa Nicole. The fort begated the passage to Napoleon’s Army coming from the Great Bernard for 14 days during the Second Italian Campaign with an intense cross fire of muskets, hand grenades, canisters and round shot.
5 THE SUN DIAL HOUSE – Takes its name from the two sun dials located on it.
Château d’Issogne
Formerly property of the Bishops of Aosta, it was restored in the 15th century by Ibleto of Challant. Issogne Castle’s current appearance took place between 1490 and 1510 under George of Challant, the prior of Sant’ Orso, who restored and transformed it into a luxurious residence for his cousin Margaret de La Chambre and her son Philibert. This restoration transformed the castle into a luxurious Renaissance residence. After various owners, it was bought by the artist Vittorio Avondo in 1872 who had it restored and then donated it to the State in 1907. Today the castle belongs to the autonomous Region of Aosta Valley.
Entering the castle, the courtyard offers walls painted with the dynastic coats of arms of the Challant family. In the centre of the courtyard is the famous wrought-iron pomegranate fountain, symbol of the Challant family.
Then you enter a hall frescoed with the famous “lunettes“, scenes from everyday life in castle during its glory showing the guards, the butcher and the baker, the greengrocer market, the tailor’s workshop, the pharmacy and the grocer.
Though there are few photos in my presentation due to restrictions a visit of the apartments of the castle includes:
--on the ground-floor, is the dining room, the kitchen and the Baron’s hall, where you can see a beautiful stone fireplace with the Challant crest alongside a lion and a griffin, the painted wooden beams on the ceiling and frescoes on the walls showing landscapes, hunting scenes and the Judgment of Paris;
-- on the first floor, is the chapel with decorated pointed arch vaults, frescoes on the walls and a Gothic altar in carved gilded wood; and the Countess’s room with painted oratory;
-- on the second floor, is the “King of France’s room”, with a coffered ceiling decorated with lilies and a fireplace with the dynastic French Vallois shield; and the room called the “Knights of St. Maurice” with a beautiful coffered ceiling painted including the Order’s cross depicted.
Castello di Fénis
Unlike the other castles built for military and defensive purposes, Fénis castle is not situated on the top of a promontory but relegated to a small knoll. Its intent was not for to be any more than the prestigious seat of the Challant family.
The castle’s many towers, which display surprising architectural harmony, were added by Aimone of Challant near the middle of the 14th century to the existing structure which had already been the residence of Viscount Gottfried II during the previous century. The castle belonged to the Fénis branch of the lords of Challant until 1716, when it was sold to Count Baldassarre Castellar of Saluzzo Paesana. There followed a period in which the castle’s prestigious function was dropped and it was turned into a rural dwelling: the ground-floor rooms were turned into stables, while the first floor was used as a barn. It was purchased by Alfredo d‘Andrade in 1895, who started restoration works that were completed by Vittorio Mesturino. Today the castle is owned by the Regional Council.
It has a pentagonal layout; the corners have round towers, with the exception of the south-west corner, which has a massive tower and the southern corner with a square tower. The keep is enclosed in a double perimeter wall, with watchtowers linked by a walkway. Access to the castle is gained via a square tower, which had a portcullis protecting the hallway in case of attack. The inner courtyard has a semicircular staircase and wooden balcony, which is decorated with outstanding frescoes including Saint George killing the dragon and on the eastern wall features the Annunciation of Saint Christopher. The can be attributed to a painter close to the school of Jaquerio and date back to around 1425-30. On the ground floor it is possible to visit the weapon room, dining room, pantry, kitchen, study and tax-collector’s office. There is a nice chapel with a reception hall worth visiting.
Arnad
The Church of San Martino in Arnad constitutes an interesting testimony of Romanesque architecture in the Aosta Valley dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries, and fifteenth-century transformations occurred in the cultural context dominated by the figure of George of Challant.
ON THE HILL -- Arnad Castle is one of the castles of the Valle d'Aosta, situated in the commune of Arnad in Aosta Valley. The Castle, dating from the 12th century, is located on a natural promontory overlooking the village of villas of Arnad, right next to the Vallone di Machaby sanctuary.
The lower Castle of Arnad (in French, Château inférieur d'arnad), also called Vallaise Castle (Château Vallaise) or palais de la Costetta is located in the commune of Arnad in Aosta Valley.
Long abandoned or in private hands, is one of the castles of the Valle d'Aosta less studied.
The lower Castle of Arnad (in French, Château inférieur d'arnad), also called Vallaise Castle (Château Vallaise) or palais de la Costetta is located in the commune of Arnad in Aosta Valley.Long abandoned or in private hands, is one of the castles of the Valle d'Aosta less studied
NOTES:
1 CHURCH OF SAN MARTINO – The Church of San martino located in the center Arnad Le Vieux is the prime example of a Romanesque style church in the Aosta Valley. The structure has been renovated a number of times, destroyed and rebuilt around the year 1020 to the Benedictine Fathers, but the most extensive changes date from the 17th-18th centuries culminating in the restoration of the 1950s.that included a return to the original 12th century tone.
2 HIKING DIRECTIONS – Show all the local trails for hiking with difficulty and estimated time to hike them in Italian.
