Castle of Aymavilles

Elegance, class, beauty. Tuff and travertine are the silent forces of this manor house that gives a distinct identity to the skyline of Aymavilles, where the Aosta Valley and the Cogne Valley meet. A strong sign of great aesthetic sense that finds it balance between the wavy vineyards and the Grivola, one of the most beautiful mountains in the Alps. The castle was built in the 13th century as a mighty keep with exclusively defensive functions. Over the centuries, from the 14th century onwards, thanks to the Challant family, the castle underwent several transformations that changed its appearance. Under Amédée de Challant, the massive and essential donjon was enriched with four corner towers and a double wall. At the end of the 15th century, a storey was added, the towers raised and embellished with corbels, machicolations and battlements. The peculiarity is that two towers with Guelph battlements and two towers with Ghibelline battlements coexist in the same structure. It became a refined and elegant castle in the 18th century thanks to Joseph-Félix de Challant with the construction of loggias decorated with stuccoes and the creation of a terraced park. With the extinction of the Challant family, the castle passed through various owners in the 19th century until 1970 when it became the property of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley.