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.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

paolo chapellu (19 months ago)
il castello fu costruito verso il 1275. La sua posizione strategica ha fatto sì che il castello restasse sempre nelle mani del conte di Savoia. Il castello consta di un vasto recinto con fortificazioni ed una torre di vedetta anche all’esterno. Il castello è accessibile a piedi, in un quarto d’ora, dalla stradina che parte dal ponte sulla Dora Baltea nel centro abitato di Villeneuve. Bel panorama!

Lukasz Sobkow (21 months ago)
this is a unique historical place I recommend if someone likes to see and go down a bit in the history of Italy

Valter Perrier (2 years ago)
Spettacolo medievale... Passeggiata facile e suggestiva

Ilario Bonomi (2 years ago)
Doveva essere certamente un luogo splendido, viste le dimensioni dei suoi ruderi e la posizione in cui sorgeva. Attualmente rimane solo la piccola cappella (consolidata ma oggetto di innumerevoli quanto spregevoli atti di vandalismo) e la torre del mastio, che non si può visitare. La salita è impegnativa, in quanto il sentiero non è agevole (fondo piuttosto scivoloso) ed è decisamente ripido, ma ripaga con un eccellente panorama.

Joshua DeBoe (2 years ago)
Well worth the hike

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