Castello di Aymavilles

About the museum

The castle of Aymavilles stands on a promontory at the entrance to the Cogne valley, near the confluence of the Dora Baltea and the Grand Eyvia stream, and is surrounded by vineyards. The first traces of a rectangular building with thick walls date back to the 12th–13th century. At the beginning of the 15th century Amadeus of Challant had four massive round towers added at the corners; a few decades later his son Giacomo raised the central body and the towers, also renewing the wooden roof.

The present appearance is the result of eighteenth-century works commissioned by the owner Joseph-Félix de Challant, who wanted to combine the Middle Ages and the Baroque in a single eclectic structure, with the soft lines of the towers and white linear façades. The attic preserves a splendid 15th-century wooden structure.

Today the castle tells two stories of nineteenth-century collecting: that of Vittorio Cacherano Osasco della Rocca, the last male descendant of the Challant, and that of the Académie Saint-Anselme, a learned society founded in 1855 to study and spread local historical memory. A nineteenth-century house-museum atmosphere accompanies the visit, with painted decorations brought to light by recent restorations; the attic is dedicated to the history of the building, with wooden models and films, and the terraced park forms part of the complex.

Highlights

• Four 15th-century round towers
• Attic with 15th-century wooden structure
• Painted decorations of the 19th century
• Collections of the Académie Saint-Anselme
• Terraced park

Permanent exhibition

• Collezioni ottocentesche e sottotetto – The historic rooms house the collections of Osasco della Rocca and the Académie Saint-Anselme; the attic tells the story of the castle with models and films.

Founded

1287

Operated by

Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta

Visitors per year

approx. 57,381

Admission & discounts

Reduced ticket for young people aged 19 to 25, for paying groups of 25 people, for groups with a licensed tourist guide and for holders of agreements (FAI, Touring Club Italiano, Aosta Valley Card, Forte di Bard ticket, combined ticket “Aosta archeologica”). Free admission up to age 18, for people with certified disabilities and a companion, for school parties, for ICOM members, journalists and holders of the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte/Valle d'Aosta or Lombardia/Valle d'Aosta. Online purchase costs a €1 advance sales fee per ticket; six-month Culture Cards are available.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The site is accessible to wheelchair users and has adequate toilets. The lift is not currently guaranteed to work because of technical problems.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

For families, the treasure hunt “Le avventure di Charlotte” is offered in the Aosta Valley castles (11 April–15 November 2026). Pushchairs cannot be used inside the castle and are left in the custody of the ticket office.

Getting there & parking

From Aosta follow the SS26 towards Courmayeur and, after Sarre, take the left fork for Cogne towards Aymavilles, following the signs for the castle. From the A5 you can exit at Sarre and continue towards Plan de Sarre.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Backpacks must be left in the cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit