The castles open to the public can be visited in summer and, some of them, the whole year round. Here enclosed it the timetable.
The castle of Introd - open in summer - rises on a promontory, protected by the gorge in which flow the stream Savara and the Dora of Rhêmes. The name of Introd, in fact, means "
entre eaux", between waters. The structure is formed by a body of residences situated into the wall, around the courtyard. The main body rises in the middle of the courtyard. The castle was probably built in
1260, but the tower is older, because it is quoted in a document of the year 1244. In the 19
th century, a part of the structure, the archives and the furniture burnt in two different fires. The castle was rebuilt in 1910, but the restoration changed the original aspect
Perched on a crest dominating the left bank of the Dora Baltea and the village of Saint-Pierre below, the castle was built around 1000 and was mentioned in the "Charte des Franchises" of 1191, a document which regulated Aosta Valley's tributary and fiscal laws. Over the centuries the castle has had many transformations and parts have been added. In the 17
th century, baron Pierre-Léonard Roncas purchased the castle and extended it. The present form is due to Emanuele Bollati and to his neo-gothic taste. In 1985 the castle became the
Regional Natural History Museum.
In front of the castle of Saint-Pierre, it is possible to see the more authentic castle of
Sarriod de la Tour. The original nucleus included the central, square-plan tower surrounded by enclosure walls, of which the west portion is still preserved. In the 15
th century a series of edifices on to those pre-existing was built. A large service room on the ground floor of the north wing has a wooden ceiling, the main beam of which is supported by a round pillar at the centre of the room. The "
Sala delle teste", hall of the heads, takes its name from the decoration of its wooden ceiling: crickets, animals, monsters, mythological creatures live in this beautiful room since the 15
th century. The castle belonged to the Sarriod de la Tour Family until 1923 and now it is a property of the regional administration.
The castle is situated on a rise which dominates the plain of Aosta and the road to the Mont Blanc. The present construction is formed by a longitudinal body with a square tower in the middle. It was constructed in 1710 from Giovanni Francesco Ferrod of Arvier on the rests of a fortress of 1242. After several property passages, in 1869 the castle was acquired and transformed from the king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II who used it like residence during his hunting parties. Umberto and Maria José inhabited the castle during their holiday. In 1989 the Region bought the complex in order to restore it. Now, it is the museum of the presence of the Savoy's House in the Aosta Valley.