Verrès

Together with Pont-Saint-Martin - the first town in Val d'Aosta north of the border with Piedmont - Verrès is the largest inhabited centre seen on the way to Aosta. What is now present-day Verrès was already found along the consular road built by theEmperor Augustus to connect the Italy of the ancient Romans with Gaul (now France). The town then played an important commercial role for a long time, and it is still one of the most active places in the region.

Steep alleyways and old stone houses are still common in the old town. The Collegiate Church dedicated to St Egidio and St Augustine, which appears as a late 18th century building, actually has origins that go far back in time. The church was originally Romanesque, and its interior preserves an early 15th century Gothic chapel and a fresco from that period depicting St George and the dragon. The beautiful portal also dates back to the 15th century, but was moved to the left side in the 18th century.

Each year, from the Saturday before Lent until Shrove Tuesday, the town comes alive with a historical carnival, in memory of the time when Catherine de Challant, after imposing her female power against the male dynastic line in the 15th century, is said to have danced in the town together with her subjects: it is four days of re-enactment, with dinners and dances at the castle and parades in the town centre. When in Verrès, you simply must visit Challant Castle, which can be reached by climbing a mule track to the top of the cliff, overlooking the torrent.