Overview
Bard, due to its strategic position, has always represented a bulwark against invasions and has therefore been fortified since ancient times. The fortress that dominates it, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages (1034), is the most imposing achievement of military architecture in the Aosta Valley and was built where the Salassi and Romans had already constructed their defensive works. The medieval village of Bard, with its buildings joined together by arches, with mullioned windows or cross windows, overlooks the geological site characterised by the 'marmitte dei giganti', cavities formed in the rock by the erosive force of sub-glacial waters. Rock carvings dating back to the Iron Age can also be found in this area. The Fortress of Bard, which dominates the village, links its name to the passage of Napoleon and the stay of Camillo Benso di Cavour, and, after careful restoration, now houses the Museum of the Alps, an interactive space through which visitors can discover the Alpine world, exploring the wild mountains and those experienced and transformed by human intervention, the play area Le Alpi dei Ragazzi and various exhibition venues.
