CASTLE SARRIOD OF THE TOWER

Hidden among the apple trees in the small village of Saint-Pierre near Aosta, the Sarriod de la Tour castle, with its irregular, compound shape, was for seven centuries the stronghold of the family of the same name, politically linked to the lords of Bard. Its origins remain obscure: the oldest installation, dating from the 11th or 12th century, included the chapel and the central square tower surrounded by an enclosure: it was a typical Valle d'Aostan "primitive castle". During the 15th century, Jean de la Tour enlarged the castle with a series of buildings and transformed it into an elegant stately home. His descendants lived in the structure until the beginning of the last century, when it had already become a large farm. The most interesting elements are the cycle of frescoes in the chapel, an important and rare testimony of Valle d'Aostan figurative art of the 13th century (although partially covered by vaults built later), completed by two paintings of the 15th century, as well as the party room (or heads). The latter has a beautiful wooden ceiling supported by 171 domes carved with grotesque figures, monsters and animals. It is an exceptional and curious testimony to the medieval imagination; some of the figures are shown in erotic or licentious poses, which is rare for sculpture of the period: one wonders how they could have gone unnoticed for all these centuries...