Saint-Pierre Castle ( it, Castello di Saint-Pierre, french: Château de Saint-Pierre) is a late 12th century castle located at Saint-Pierre in the Aosta Valley,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Early history

The first records of the castle date from the late 12th century and it is thought that is when the castle was first constructed. Far less grand than it is today, the original castle consisted only of basic walls and two towers. Over subsequent centuries, the castle had a number of owners including members of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

. A family of local nobility (House of Roncas, or ''Maison de Roncas'' in French) purchased the castle in the 17th century and it was that family that expanded the castle into a large fortified residence.''Saint-Pierre Castle''
(Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali / Musée régional des sciences naturelles)

Later history

Thereafter, the castle fell into disrepair until its purchase by

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

Emanuele Bollati in the 1870s. He renovated the castle and modernised many of its features. It remained in the possession of his family until the 20th century when it was handed over to the town of Saint-Pierre and became the Regional Museum of Natural Science ( it, Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, french: Musée régional des sciences naturelles). In 1824, the castle was sketched by a travelling

James Duffield Harding James Duffield Harding (1798 – 4 December 1863) was a British landscape painter, lithographer and author of drawing manuals. His use of tinted papers and opaque paints in watercolour proved influential. Life Harding was born at Deptford in 17 ...

. At the foot of the castle, standing out in stucco white, is the parish church of Saint-Pierre, built in 1872.

External links

Aosta Valley official website

References

Castles in Aosta Valley {{Italy-castle-stub

Early history

Later history

See also

External links

References