Verrès Castle, one of the most famous Aosta Valley medieval manors built as a military fortress in the 14th century, stands in a dominant position on a rocky promontory overlooking the Evançon stream, at the entrance to the Val d'Ayas.
Castello di Verrès History
Erected on a rocky peak overlooking the underlying village, the castle is mentioned for the first time in 1287 as the property of the De Verretio lords.
It was Ibleto di Challant, representative of one of the main noble Valle d'Aosta families, who in the last decade of the fourteenth century had the manor assume its current shape, according to a completely innovative building typology. The castle, unlike the other Valle d'Aosta examples consisting of several buildings enclosed in a city wall, looks like a compact block, about thirty meters per side, with a purely military character.
The interiors instead appear less austere and rigid, thanks to the majesty and airiness of the staircase in the courtyard - set on flying buttresses - and to the decoration of the windows, doors and shelves of the monumental fireplaces, due to excellent workers.
From the mid-16th century following the extinction of the family, the decline of the castle began, culminating in its abandonment for more than three centuries. At the end of the 19th century, the fortress was restored, thanks to the action carried out by a group of Piedmontese intellectuals, among whom Vittorio Avondo, Alfredo d 'Andrade and Giuseppe Giacosa stand out.
In 2004 the castle was closed to allow for works to adapt and upgrade the plants. Following the reopening in 2007, it can be visited through guided tours,