Châtel-Argent Castle

Villeneuve, Italy

There have been settlements on the site of Châtel-Argent castle since prehistoric times and through the Roman Era. There is a chapel dedicated to Saint Columba of Sens which was built sometime between 1050 and 1070. The castle first appears in a document in 1176 as Castrum Argenteum. The castle was improved around 1275 under the direction of Count Peter II's architect James St. George and castle grew to the configuration we see today. This castle had always been owned by the counts and the dukes of Savoy.

The ruins can be accessed from Villaneuve by walking The Rampa, a staircase carved into the rock of the valley wall. The castle is located in the town of Villeneuve in the Aosta Valley region, at about 10 km west of the city of Aosta. The most prominent feature left in the ruins is its watchtower keep measuring just under 10 meters in diameter which overlooks the town below. The ruins themselves cover about 6,300 square meters. When the castle was whole, it was estimated to be able to hold 700 people in times of danger.

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Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

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4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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channel max (3 years ago)
They are the remains of an ancient castle built in 1275 by the Lords of Bard, on previous fortifications (probably a Roman fort ..). Always under the direct control of the Savoy, with its panoramic position, it controlled the passage in the valley. It was also a place of minting of money (hence the probable origin of the name, Chatel Argent ... Castle of money.). Of its 3 walls, some tracts remain, in addition to the cylindrical keep and an ancient chapel dedicated to Santa Colombana (dating back perhaps to 1050). It can be visited for free (guided tours are also possible) and can be reached in about 20 minutes on foot, on a path that is sometimes steep, starting from the nearby bridge over the Dora.
Luisa Pagnoni (3 years ago)
Wonderful walk, wonderful panorama, particularly welcome the bench in the shade under a tree. Too bad that the church near the castle is in poor condition, but it seems that something is being done to fix it. It is a pity that the historic church annexed to the cemetery was closed, I would have gladly visited it.
Gianluca Talento (3 years ago)
It has its own charm. Although not exactly nearby and not having come close, we did an exploration of the place through the use of binoculars and a telephoto camera. They tend to be crowded ruins, full of visitors, tell us the people in the neighborhood. Although the castle is not intact, the site is safe, at least until today, but it has retained its charm, because it exudes history from every brick. Another itinerary to be pigeonholed in the next trips.
Fefo Black (3 years ago)
Short sloping walk at times with somewhat uneven terrain and after about 15 minutes you will arrive in the interesting area where the ruins of the Castle of Châtel Argent lie, still well preserved. Villeneuve. As soon as you reach the top you will come across the first walls of the Chatel Argent enclosure: from here you will shortly reach the esplanade where the ruins of the castle lie. Then you can pay a visit to the still well preserved central tower. In the descent to get to the starting point, there is a crossroads and you can choose to reach the path that leads to the center of Villeneuve.
Luca Tirnusciolo (4 years ago)
It is an ancient castle, now in ruins, which stands on a rocky terrace overlooking the Dora Baltea. The marble summit on which the ruins of the castle stand was already occupied in prehistoric times (the discovery of a protohistoric anthropomorphic stele would confirm this), and was subsequently occupied in the Salassic and then Roman times by a fortification guarding the valley. The castle, which had no residential purpose but was exploited by the feudal lord only in case of danger, was composed of a dungeon surrounded by other architectural bodies and protected by a triple wall. As regards the construction of the thirteenth century, they are located at the inside the wall, in the highest position of the site, the tower, the remains of a building and a cistern. A chapel completed the site.
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