Valle d'Aosta - Region

It is a mountainous Region in north-western Italy.   It is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piedmont to the south and east.

With an area of 3,263 km², it is the smallest, least populous, and least densely populated region of Italy.   It is the only Italian region which has no provinces (provincial administrative functions are provided by the regional government), the province being dissolved in 1945.  

The Aosta Valley remained agricultural and pastoral until the construction of dams to harness the potential of its hydroelectric power brought metal-working industry to the region. Today it is also a major centre for winter sports, most famously at Courmayeur and Cervinia. The Dora Baltea has its origins in the Valle d'Aosta, flowing south to join the Po.

The upper Aosta Valley is the traditional southern starting-point for the tracks, then roads, which divided here to lead over the Alpine passes. The road through the Great St Bernard Pass (or today the Great St Bernard Tunnel) leads to Martigny, Valais, and the one through the Little St Bernard Pass to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Savoie.  Today Aosta is joined to Chamonix in France by the Mont Blanc Tunnel, a road tunnel on European route E25 running underneath the Alps.

The cuisine of the Val d'Aosta has been influenced by the close proximity of both France and the Piedmonte, yet retains its own unique character.   It is the only Italian region to produce Fontina cheese and is a favorite ingredient in many dishes including the local specialties like Fonduta (fondue) and Costoletta alla Valdostana - a veal chop covered in Fontina. Hearty soups and stews are popular in this mountainous region and one of the favorites is Capriolo alla Valdostana, a venison stew made with wine, vegetables and grappa.  Other northern favorites like Polenta and Risotto are also prepared according to local traditions, you are guaranteed a good fuel for excessive walking/skiing/hiking/whatever you want to do!
 

Polenta		Cheese Fondue

The regional wines have very little room to grow among the rocky crags of the mountains. However, it is this unique terrain makes the Aostan wines so unique.   The grapes include Italian (Nebbiolo, Dolcetto), French (Chardonnay, Pino Noir) and German (Muller Thurgau) varieties.   Standout reds include the DOC recognized Donnas, ruby colored Chambave Rosso and the full-bodied Nus Rosso.    Whites include the simply named and crisp Bianco and the Blanc de Morgex with its hints of alpine meadows.    Nus-Malvoisie Fletri is a type of sweet yet strong white dessert wine.     For spirits, Grappa is made throughout the region after the harvest and shows up in the most unlikely of places - like in the local venison stew.

 

We suggest the best times of year to come to this part of the area is just before and after the August holiday to avoid the inevitable crowds of impatient tourists.  Of course, those travelers who like to partake of winter sports should plan a winter trip, and use Aosta as a base camp for excursions into the cold and snowy mountains.

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Aosta is the capital city of the Region of Valle d'Aosta, and shares its general history. After defeating the Salassi, a Celtic tribe that had settled the Baltea Plain, the Romans established a military camp (Augusta Praetoria Salassorum) here in about 25 BC, to guard and taken advantage of the most important passes between Italy and what is now France and Switzerland. 

The city sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Buthier and Dora Baltea, and at the junction of two ancient roads that carry the traveler north, one to the Great St. Bernard pass, the other to the Little St. Bernard pass.   The Romans built on a simple grid, with two roads intersecting at right angles, with gates in the walls leading into the city along them.

While there are some important industries, most especially hydroelectric generation and distribution, and steel and aluminum production, it is not a city characterized by the hustle and bustle of most modern cities.

The traveler will be able to explore all the city's major monuments and buildings in the course of a day, even if one lingers at some.

Starting outside the medieval walls of the "old" city, one will find the Collegiata di Sant'Orso, a large complex including a church, bell tower and monastery, mostly in the Romanesque style.  The bell tower (campanile) stands at 46 meters high, and has four floors with mullioned windows near its top.   It was built between 994 and 1025AD, (with some rebuilding in the 15th century) and it is probably the most important medieval building in the city.   The Gothic interior of the church, which contains a remarkable wooden choir (14th century) is decorated with frescoes, some of which date to the 11th century.    Below is a crypt with five small aisles, dating to the same period.   The right aisle has doors to the Romanesque cloisters, probably added in the 12th Century.

Large sections of the city's medieval walls, and several towers are clearly visible, in some places, still in use. The Porta Pretoria, still extant, is one of the two principal gates into the city following the north-south road.   In the walls near the gate, one can still see chunks of the marble slabs that used to line the walls.

The tower to the right of the gate is the Torre dei signori di Sant'Orso, a building used during medieval times by the Signori who ran local government. The lower floor has been renovated as an exhibition space.

A couple of other towers are of interest. The Torre dei Belivi, near the theater was a governor's residence in its early days, but has also servered as a court and later a prison. 

The Tour Fromage, named for its original owners, not because it was a cheese factory. Like so many historic buildings in Italy, it too has been transformed into an exhibition space.

Walking through the gate into the city, you will encounter the neo-classical Palazzo del Municipio on the Piazza Chanoux.    The Romanesque Cathedral of the Assumption also sits on the Piazza, and it gives way to what used to be the Roman Forum, the place where Roman's conducted their markets and public meetings.   Archaeologists working on the Cathedral site have discovered a variety of paleo-christian works including paving stones, stairways, tombs, baptismal fonts and mosaics.

Another of the important churches in town is Chiesa San Stefano with a facade added in the 18th century.   Inside, there is a frescoe cycle consisting of 10 panels celebrating the life of the saints. Also inside, one encounters a large statue of San Cristoforo carved out of a section of walnut tree with a diameter of one and a half meters.   Also keep an eye out for the small Gothic Church of San Lorenzo.

The Tour Pailleron (tower of straw), near the train station is an expanded version of the original Roman tower in the Roman wall that was used to store straw.

The Tour Bramafan evolved into a castle and the Tour Lebbroso - or tower of the leper - is the scene of a famous French story by Xavier de Maistre about a leper who was kept confined there.  There are two bell towers, one built by the Cathedral, and the other at the monastery just outside the city walls.

The "bailiff's tower" was built in the late 12th century. The building was used as the principal seat of local government starting in the mid to late 14h Century.

Near the Arch of Augustus inside the medieval walls, in the Piazza d'Augusto, is a bridge, the Ponte Romano, that used to span the Buthier River.   It serves no purpose now because the river has long since changed course.

Nearby is the Teatro Romano whose facade, about 22 meters wide, still stands. The Convent of Santa Caterina partially obscures the amphitheatre behind the wall at the back of the main theater. The theater complex was quite capacious having room for 20,000 spectators.

The Museo Archeologico contains relics and artifacts from, of course, the Roman and medieval periods, but also some that originate at a much earlier time, when the area was under settlement by the Salassi.

One does not have to spend all ones time peering at ancient things.   Aosta has a number of restaurants, cafes and shops in the "centro storico" where one can bide one's time. The local fare is a hearty blend of Italian, French and Swiss.

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Italy's best ski resorts are in the Valle d'Aosta, within the shadows of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.   Courmayuer and Breuil Cervinia are both world class resorts and the skiing is augmented by the Italian love of life and matchless cuisine and wines.

Courmayeur is on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, over the Alps from Chamonix, in the Aosta Valley.   It possesses some of the traditional Alpine history of its French neighbour, but at considerably lower prices.    Courmayeur has 100km of its own pistes, which cater mainly to beginner and intermediate boarders and skiers.    There isn't a huge variety of skiing in this relatively small area, with experts the least spoilt for choice.   However, Courmayeur does offer access to the other resorts in the Aosta Valley and the Chamonix valley (via the Mont Blanc Tunnel), with a combined total of near 800km of runs to keep just about everyone happy.   Cross-country skiers will also find 51km of excellent trails. It's all blessed with a fine snow record and supported by widespread snowmaking facilities.

With its proximity to Mont Blanc, the scenery is majestic - the resort itself does its location proud.    It's based around a traditional village, with a car-free centre, loads of good shops, restaurants, cafés and bars, where the après-ski is very much Italian in spirit.    Eating, both on and off the mountain, is almost more important than the on-snow activities and the high quality of the eateries reflects that.   The only complaints are the rather irritating walk from some of the accommodation to the lifts and the slight lack of variety when it comes to non-skiing activities.    Courmayeur can also get swamped by the Milanese at weekends and peak season times.   It's a great venue, only occasionally marred by the closure of the tunnel.

Cervinia is lift-linked to Zermatt, based on the Italian side of the Matterhorn, with 200km of its own runs.   Because of its high altitude, it has a long season, great snow and is an absolute haven for intermediates.   The slopes are superb for cruising and mileage skiing, while beginners will find masses of coverage.   Advanced skiers will need to head over into Switzerland for extended challenges, although you'll have to pay extra to cross to Zermatt.   Because of its position, the scenery is outstanding, but this can be marred by poor weather and high winds, which can often cause the higher lifts to be closed.   If the weather holds, you can usually be guaranteed loads of sun as well as long tree-lined runs.  The ski school is getting better but, as with many Italian resorts, childcare is rather limited.

On the downside, Cervinia is not the most attractive resort and is entirely purpose-built. It was founded in the 1930s by Mussolini and still doesn't cater very well for non-skiers. There are good restaurants on and off the mountain, but their prices are nearly as steep as the Matterhorn itself.   Weekend crowds can put pressure on the old lift system, but also improve the quality of après-ski.   Access from the accommodation to the lifts is inconvenient, requiring an uphill walk.

Overall, Cervinia is great for lower ability skiers and boarders and much cheaper than its Swiss neighbour.   Experts, kids and party animals may not find Cervinia ideal, although the first group do have Zermatt nearby to keep them busy.