Top 5 Castles around La Magdeleine

Saint-Germain Castle (or Montjovet Castle), of uncertain origins, marked the history of the Aosta Valley, passing from the Savoy to the Challant family, before finally returning to the Savoy in 1438. Used as a military garrison by Amadeus VIII, it was abandoned in 1661 when the garrison was transferred to the Bard Fort. Completing the site is the Church of Saint-Germain: a small Romanesque building that, through frescoes and architectural details, preserves the spiritual memory of the local community.

Great parking area for the start of the route

Ussel Castle is a fortress overlooking the Aosta Valley that marked an era. Built in the mid-14th century by Ebalo II of Challant, it is not a typical castle with many towers, but a single, large, and imposing compact structure. Its location is incredible: at 650 meters above sea level, on a rocky promontory seemingly designed to control the entrance to the Valtournenche and the entire Dora Baltea plain. From its walls, there is a breathtaking view that sweeps across the entire valley. After centuries of abandonment and ruin, in the late 1980s the castle was given a second life thanks to a restoration funded by Baron Marcel Bich (yes, the one with the BIC pens). Today, it is owned by the Regional Government and, after hosting several exhibitions, is a magnificent vantage point that tells a story of power, architecture, and rebirth, uniting nature and history in a single gaze.

Bridge over the Dora - view of Ussel Castle: The Castello di Ussel, also known as Castello Baron Gamba, is an impressive medieval castle in the Valle d’Aosta region, Italy. The castle is located on a steep rocky cliff and overlooks the Dora Baltea valley.

Worth a tour, an excellent view

The Castello di Saint Germain is a medieval castle in ruins, located in the frazione of the same name in the municipality of Montjovet in the Valle d'Aosta, Italy. The castle is located at an altitude of 656 meters above sea level, on a rocky spur overlooking the gorge cut by the Dora Baltea. This strategic position made the castle one of the most important defenses in the region, together with the Fort of Bard and Châtel-Argent. It was easy to control and defend the village at the foot of the rock and the central valley of the Valle d'Aosta from here.

The Castello Gamba, also known as Castello Baron Gamba, is a palazzo of 20th century origins in the town of Châtillon, located on a hill in the western region of the city, near the regional hotel school. Surrounded by a park open to the public all year round, the castle offers spectacular views over the valley. It was built as a summer residence and is named after its owner, the Turin baron Carlo Maurizio Gamba. The building's architecture, influenced by the medieval revival style of the time, includes two symmetrical wings that protrude slightly from the front of the castle. Located on the rocky cliff of Crêt-de-Breil, the castle overlooks the Dora Baltea and was originally built as a declaration of love by Baron Gamba to his beloved wife, Angélique Passerin d'Entrèves, originally from Châtillon. Inside, the castle houses the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea della Valle d'Aosta, with a permanent exhibition of more than 150 works, including those of the famous Romantic painter J.M. William Turner and other artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The castle, built no earlier than the 13th century with a rectangular structure, was part of the heritage of the lords of Montjovet. Only later, following the marriage between Ebalo the Great and Alexie of Chenal, did it become the property of the Challant family: in this way, the two families could control the passages on the road between Chenal and the castle of Montjovet. Today, the castle, located along the route of the Via Francigena and the Cammino Balteo, is reduced to a ruin.