Châtel-Argent was an Italian medieval
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
town of
Villeneuve
Villeneuve, LaVilleneuve or deVilleneuve may refer to:
People
* Villeneuve (surname)
Places
Australia
* Villeneuve, Queensland, a town in the Somerset Region
Canada
* Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a Formula One racetrack in Montréal
* Villeneuv ...
. It is now a ruin. As with many other castles in the region, Châtel-Argent overlooks the
Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea () or Doire Baltée () is a river in northwestern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po and is about long.
Name
The river's Latin name was ''Duria maior'', ''Duria Baltica'' or ''Duria Bautica''. Strabo called it Δουρι ...
(french: Doire baltée) River which runs through the
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
.
History
Settlements have existed on this site since prehistoric times, and through the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
Era. There is a chapel dedicated to Saint
Columba of Sens
Columba of Sens (probably born Eporita, d. 273), was a virgin and nun who was born to a noble pagan family in northwestern Spain. She left Spain for France as a child to avoid being denounced as a Christian and received the baptismal name Columb ...
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 (french: Maître Jacques de Saint-Georges) and castle grew to the configuration we see today. This castle had always been owned by the
counts and the dukes of
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
.
Description
The ruins can be accessed from Villeneuve by walking a staircase carved into the rock of the valley wall. The castle is located in the town of
Villeneuve
Villeneuve, LaVilleneuve or deVilleneuve may refer to:
People
* Villeneuve (surname)
Places
Australia
* Villeneuve, Queensland, a town in the Somerset Region
Canada
* Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a Formula One racetrack in Montréal
* Villeneuv ...
in the
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
region, at about 10 km west of the city of
Aosta
Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...
. The most prominent feature left in the ruins is its watchtower
keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
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.
See also
*
List of castles in Italy
This is a list of castles in Italy by location.
Abruzzo
;Province of L'Aquila
*Castello normanno, Anversa degli Abruzzi
* Castello Orsini-Colonna, Avezzano
* Castello Piccolomini, Balsorano
*Castle of Barisciano, Barisciano
* Castello di Bar ...
References
External links
* Office of Tourism
Office du tourisme - Autonomous Region Aosta Valley 2015. Accessed on April 17, 2015.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatel-Argent
Castles in Aosta Valley