Aosta
Encyclopedia
Aosta is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian
Alps
, 110 km (68.4 mi) north-northwest of Turin
. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel
, at the confluence of the Buthier
and the Dora Baltea
, and at the junction of the Great and Little
St. Bernard routes. Aosta is not the capital of the province, as these functions are shared by the region and the communes.
, many of whom were killed or sold into slavery by the Romans
in 25 BC. The campaign was led by Marcus Terentius Varro
, who then founded the Roman
colony of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, housing 3,000 retired veteran
s. After 11 BC Aosta became the capital of the Alpes Graies ("Grey Alps") province of the Empire
. Its position at the confluence of two rivers, at the end of the Great and the Little St Bernard Pass
, gave it considerable military importance, and its layout was that of a Roman military camp.
After the fall of the Western Empire
, the city was conquered, in turn, by the Burgundians
, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines
. The Lombards
, who had annexed it to their Italian kingdom, were expelled by the Frankish Empire
under Pepin the Short. Under his son, Charlemagne
, Aosta acquired importance as a post on the Via Francigena
, leading from Aachen
to Italy
. After 888 AD it was part of the renewed Kingdom of Italy under Arduin of Ivrea and Berengar of Friuli.
In the 10th century Aosta became part of the Kingdom of Burgundy
. After the fall of the latter in 1032, it became part of the lands of Count Humbert I of the House of Savoy
. After the creation of the county of Savoy
, with its capital in Chambéry
, Aosta led the unification of Italy.
Under the House of Savoy, Aosta was granted a special status that it maintained when the new Italian Republic was proclaimed in 1948.
Tower
s stand at angles to the enceinte
and others are positioned at intervals, with two at each of the four gates, making twenty towers in total. They are roughly 6.5 m square, and project 4.3 m from the wall. Of the 20 original towers, the following are well preserved:
The east and south gate
s exist intact. The latter, a double gate with three arches flanked by two towers known as the Porta Praetoria (1st century AD) was the eastern gate to the city, and has preserved its original forms apart from the marble covering. It is formed by two series of arches enclosing a small square.
The rectangular arrangement of the street
s is modeled on a Roman plan dividing the town into 64 blocks (insulae
). The main road, c. 10 m wide, divides the city into two equal halves, running from east to west. This arrangement makes it clear that guarding the road was the main raison d'être of the city.
The Roman theatre, of which the southern façade remains today, 22 m tall. The structure, dating from the late reign of Augustus
, occupied an area of 81 x 64 m: it could contain up to 4,000 spectators. In the nearby was the amphitheatre, built under Claudius
. A marketplace surrounded by storehouses on three sides with a temple
in the centre with two on the open (south) side, as well as a thermae
, also have been discovered.
Outside the town is a triumphal arch
in honour of Augustus
, built in 35 BC to celebrate the victory of consul Varro Murena over the Salassi. About 8 km to the west is a single-arched Roman bridge
, called the Pont d'Aël
. It has a closed passage, lighted by windows for foot passengers in winter, and above it an open footpath, both being about 10 m in width.
There are considerable remains of the ancient road from Eporedia (modern Ivrea
) to Augusta Praetoria into the Aosta Valley. The modern railway
follows this route, notable for the Pont Saint-Martin
, which has a single arch with a span of 35 m and a roadway 4.5 m wide;
the cutting of Donnas
; and the Roman bridges of Châtillon
(Pont Saint-Vincent) and Aosta (Pont de Pierre
).
, opened in 1886, forms part of the Chivasso–Aosta railway, and is also a junction station
for a branch line to nearby Pré-Saint-Didier
, in the Valdigne
, on the way towards Courmayeur
.
Aosta Airport
is a short distance to the east of the city.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, 110 km (68.4 mi) north-northwest of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as...
, at the confluence of the Buthier
Buthier
The Buthier is a mountain torrent in north-west Italy. A left tributary of the Dora Baltea, its entire course lies within the Valpelline valley, in the region of Aosta Valley.- Course :...
and the Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea or Doire Baltée , is a river in northern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po River, and is about 160 km long...
, and at the junction of the Great and Little
Little St Bernard Pass
The Little St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France and Aosta Valley, Italy to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St...
St. Bernard routes. Aosta is not the capital of the province, as these functions are shared by the region and the communes.
History
Aosta was settled in proto-historic times and later became a centre of the SalassiSalassi
The Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
, many of whom were killed or sold into slavery by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
in 25 BC. The campaign was led by Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
, who then founded the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
colony of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, housing 3,000 retired veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s. After 11 BC Aosta became the capital of the Alpes Graies ("Grey Alps") province of the Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Its position at the confluence of two rivers, at the end of the Great and the Little St Bernard Pass
Little St Bernard Pass
The Little St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France and Aosta Valley, Italy to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St...
, gave it considerable military importance, and its layout was that of a Roman military camp.
After the fall of the Western Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, the city was conquered, in turn, by the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
, who had annexed it to their Italian kingdom, were expelled by the Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
under Pepin the Short. Under his son, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, Aosta acquired importance as a post on the Via Francigena
Via Francigena
The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. In mediaeval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route...
, leading from Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. After 888 AD it was part of the renewed Kingdom of Italy under Arduin of Ivrea and Berengar of Friuli.
In the 10th century Aosta became part of the Kingdom of Burgundy
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
. After the fall of the latter in 1032, it became part of the lands of Count Humbert I of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
. After the creation of the county of Savoy
County of Savoy
The Counts of Savoy emerged, along with the free communes of Switzerland, from the collapse of the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles in the 11th century....
, with its capital in Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
, Aosta led the unification of Italy.
Under the House of Savoy, Aosta was granted a special status that it maintained when the new Italian Republic was proclaimed in 1948.
Ancient remains
The ancient town walls of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum are still preserved almost in their entirety, enclosing a rectangle 725 by 571 m. They are 6.4 m high, built of concrete faced with small blocks of stone. At the bottom, the walls are nearly 2.75 m thick, and at the top 1.83 m.Tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
s stand at angles to the enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
and others are positioned at intervals, with two at each of the four gates, making twenty towers in total. They are roughly 6.5 m square, and project 4.3 m from the wall. Of the 20 original towers, the following are well preserved:
- Tour du lépreux, which has been given this name after a leper was jailed there in the late 17th century. Le lépreux de la cité d'Aoste, a novel by Xavier de MaistreXavier de MaistreXavier de Maistre of Savoy , lived largely as a military man, but is known as a French writer. The younger brother of noted philosopher and counter-revolutionary Joseph de Maistre, Xavier was born to an aristocratic family at Chambéry in October 1763...
, was named after this tower. - Tour Neuve (13th century).
- Tour du Pailleron.
- Tower (Castle) of Bramafan, built in the 11th century over a Roman bastion. It was the residence of the Savoy viscounts. The Franco-ProvençalFranco-Provençal languageFranco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
term Bramafan is translated as "He who screams for hunger". - Tour du Baillage.
- Tour Fromage.
The east and south gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
s exist intact. The latter, a double gate with three arches flanked by two towers known as the Porta Praetoria (1st century AD) was the eastern gate to the city, and has preserved its original forms apart from the marble covering. It is formed by two series of arches enclosing a small square.
The rectangular arrangement of the street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
s is modeled on a Roman plan dividing the town into 64 blocks (insulae
Insulae
In Roman architecture, an insula was a kind of apartment building that housed most of the urban citizen population of ancient Rome, including ordinary people of lower- or middle-class status and all but the wealthiest from the upper-middle class...
). The main road, c. 10 m wide, divides the city into two equal halves, running from east to west. This arrangement makes it clear that guarding the road was the main raison d'être of the city.
The Roman theatre, of which the southern façade remains today, 22 m tall. The structure, dating from the late reign of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, occupied an area of 81 x 64 m: it could contain up to 4,000 spectators. In the nearby was the amphitheatre, built under Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
. A marketplace surrounded by storehouses on three sides with a temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in the centre with two on the open (south) side, as well as a thermae
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
, also have been discovered.
Outside the town is a triumphal arch
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
in honour of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, built in 35 BC to celebrate the victory of consul Varro Murena over the Salassi. About 8 km to the west is a single-arched Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
, called the Pont d'Aël
Pont d'Aël
The Pont d'Aël is a Roman aqueduct bridge in the village of the same name, in the comune of Aymavilles, in Aosta Valley, Italy. The bridge, constructed in 3 BC, carried water for the agricultural lands of the newly founded colony Augusta Prætoria Salassorum across a side valley, 66 m...
. It has a closed passage, lighted by windows for foot passengers in winter, and above it an open footpath, both being about 10 m in width.
There are considerable remains of the ancient road from Eporedia (modern Ivrea
Ivrea
Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake...
) to Augusta Praetoria into the Aosta Valley. The modern railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
follows this route, notable for the Pont Saint-Martin
Pont-Saint-Martin Bridge
The Pont-Saint-Martin is a Roman segmental arch bridge in the Aosta Valley in Italy dating to the 1st century BC.The span is according to recent research, but frequently stated to be 35.64 m or 36.65 m....
, which has a single arch with a span of 35 m and a roadway 4.5 m wide;
Donnas, Italy
Donnas is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy....
; and the Roman bridges of Châtillon
Châtillon, Italy
Chatillon is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.-Frazioni:Bourg, Breil de Barrel , Gros Breil, Grand Frayan, Petit Frayan, Barma des Antesans, Setoret, Cret de Breil, Baron Gamba, Grange de Barme, Chameran, Chameran Alta, Fours, Ventoux, Garín, Pavirola, Sez de Val,...
(Pont Saint-Vincent) and Aosta (Pont de Pierre
Pont de Pierre (Aosta)
The Pont de Pierre , meaning "Stone Bridge", is a Roman segmental arch bridge in the Italian city of Aosta in the Aosta Valley. The bridge crossed the Buthier about 600 m from the eastern exit of the Roman colony Augusta Praetoria; in later times the torrente changed its course, leaving the...
).
Other sights
- The Cathedral, built in the 4th century and replaced in the 11th century by a new edifice dedicate to the Madonna. It is annexed to the Roman Forum.
- The RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
-GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Sant'OrsoSant'OrsoSant'Orso, or Saint-Ours, is a collegiate church in Aosta, northern Italy dedicated to Saint Ursus of Aosta. The original church had a single hall, delimited by a semicircular apse. It was entirely rubuilt during the 9th century, during the Carolingian age. Later, bishop Anselm of Aosta further...
(Saint-Ours). Its most evocative feature is the cloister, which can be entered through a hall on the left of the façade. It is dedicated to Ursus of AostaUrsus of AostaSaint Ursus of Aosta is an Italian saint of the 6th century. His feast day is February 1 . The collegiate church of Saint Ursus in Aosta is dedicated to him....
. - The Saint-Bénin College, built about 1000 by the BenedictineBenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
s. It is now an exhibition site.
Transport
Aosta railway stationAosta railway station
Aosta railway station is the main station serving the city and comune of Aosta, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, northwestern Italy...
, opened in 1886, forms part of the Chivasso–Aosta railway, and is also a junction station
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
for a branch line to nearby Pré-Saint-Didier
Prè-Saint-Didier
Pré-Saint-Didier is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy, at 1,004 m above sea level.-Transportation:A terminus of a regional railway is located there; direct trains connect the town with Aosta, which is connected to the rest of the Italian network...
, in the Valdigne
Valdigne
The Valdigne is the upper part of the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy. It is traversed by the Dora Baltea, a tributary of the Po.It extends from Derby to Courmayeur, including the side valleys of Val Ferret, Val Veny and Vallone di La Thuile.The communes which belong to the Valdigne are...
, on the way towards Courmayeur
Courmayeur
Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea...
.
Aosta Airport
Aosta Airport
Aosta Airport or Corrado Gex Airport is an airport serving Aosta, a city in the Aosta Valley region of Italy.Air Vallée previously had its head office on the property of Aosta Airport.-External links:...
is a short distance to the east of the city.
See also
- Duke of AostaDuke of AostaIn the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
- Franco-Provençal languageFranco-Provençal languageFranco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
- ValdôtainValdôtainThe Valdôtain, or Valdotans, are an ethnic group that lives in the far northwest Aosta Valley Autonomous Region of Italy. They speak several dialects of the Franco-Provençal language ....
dialect. - French languageFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Aostan French - :Category:Towers in Italy
- :Category:Tribes involved in Caesar's Gallic Wars
Further reading
- Carlo PromisCarlo PromisCarlo Promis was an Italian architect and architectural historian and a proponent of Eclecticism.Promis earned his degree in architecture at Turin in 1828 and subsequently worked in Rome alongside leaders in the field of ancient architectural history, including Carlo Fea, Luigi Canina, and Antonio...
, Le antichità di Aosta, (Turin, 1862); - Édouard Bérard, Atti della Società di Archeologia di Torino, iii. 119 seq.; Notizie degli Scavi, passim;
- Alfredo d'Andrade, Relazione dell' Ufficio Regionale per la conservazione dei Monumenti del Piemonte e della Liguria (Turin, 1899), 46 seq.
External links
- Virtual Museum Vallée (VMV), virtual museum of Aosta city
- Augusta Praetoria Site plan & photos from the Aosta Valley Regional Authority.
- Ancient Places TV: HD Video of Aosta, Italy