Top 15 Castles around Saint-Marcel

Quart Castle is currently (January 2025) undergoing conservation work. The work should be completed by summer 2025.

Travelling along the Via Francigena from Aosta to Nus, just before Quart you come across this Castle built on a hill, an enchanting and solitary place.

Nice gravel easy paths close to the castle

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 carved wooden furniture in this imposing fortress is typical of the Aosta Valley. In the courtyard and in the chapel, frescoes from the Gothic studio of Giacomo Jacquerio depict the lives of the most important saints and those of many sages and philosophers.

Located in the Valle d'Aosta region of Italy, the Castello di Fénis is one of the most famous medieval castles in the region. It attracts visitors with its abundance of towers and battlements. Although it has an impressive defensive structure, it is located on a small hill and not in an inaccessible place. In fact, it was originally intended as a prestigious residence for the Challant family. The courtyard has a semi-circular stone staircase and wooden balconies. At the top of the stairs is a 15th century fresco of Saint George slaying the dragon. The rooms are decorated with wooden furniture from that period.

The current castle was built on the remains of an earlier fortified house. The feudal estate of Saint-Marcel originally depended on the nearby castle of Ussel. Both estates were owned by the powerful Challant family. The castle was originally built in the 15th century by Giacomo di Challant-Aymavilles. It had a basically square shape like a castle residence, with an added rectangular western part for additional living space. A square tower dominated the structure, while two turrets with projecting basins adorned the corners, similar to those of Ussel Castle. Inside, the halls were covered with wooden ceilings, and some still contained remains of large chimneys.

The Torre dei Balivi, also known as Tour du bailliage, is one of Aosta's medieval architectural treasures. The tower, also known as Tour Cornière in French, was mentioned as early as 1192. In the 12th century it became the property of the local noble family De Palais (or De Palacio), who used it for their own purposes. Later, in the 13th century, it was transferred to the Count of Savoy and served as the seat of the bailiff (in old French, Bailly). The tower was expanded and remodeled in the 15th and 16th centuries, with new parts added to meet growing needs. In the 17th century it was used as a prison and courthouse. Since 2014, the tower has housed the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato della Valle d'Aosta.