City of Aosta, Italy, and its valley

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Aosta

Jagged Alpine peaks rise like marble cathedrals above the regional capital Aosta, a once-important Roman settlement that retains a charming historic centre, while also sprawling rather untidily across the valley floor. Bounced around between Burgundy (France) and Savoy (Italy) in the Middle Ages, the modern town remains bilingual, with a Valdostan culture that can be heard in its musical local dialect and simple but hearty cuisine.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta

    Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta

    Aosta

    The neoclassical facade of Aosta's cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are…

  • Museo Archeologico Regionale

    Museo Archeologico Regionale

    Aosta

    Aosta’s little city museum does an excellent job of detailing the city’s Roman history with a scale model of Aosta’s Roman layout plus various…

  • Chiesa di Sant'Orso

    Chiesa di Sant'Orso

    Aosta

    This intriguing church is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in…

  • Basilica Paleocristiana di San Lorenzo

    Basilica Paleocristiana di San Lorenzo

    Aosta

    Beneath the old parish church of the village, you can glimpse the dusty layers of early Christian history. Excavations have revealed a small cruciform…

  • Criptoportico Forense

    Criptoportico Forense

    Aosta

    What remains of the city's Augustan forum mostly lies beneath the 'modern' piazza, although you can visit its colonnaded underground walkway (known as a…

  • Roman Bridge

    Roman Bridge

    Aosta

    This arched, cobbled Roman bridge, also know as the Pont de Pierre, crossed the River Buthier in the first century AD, but today it's high and dry (though…

  • Teatro Romano

    Teatro Romano

    Aosta

    Part of the Roman theatre's 22m-high facade is still intact. In summer, performances are held in the better-preserved lower section.

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