Castle Sarriod de la Tour description and photos - Italy: Val d'Aosta (Topic)

Sarriod de la Tour castle description and photos - Italy: Val d'Aosta. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Sarriod de la Tour.

Photo and description

Sarriod de la Tour is an old fairytale castle in the town of Saint-Pierre in the Italian region of Val d'Aosta, now turned into a museum. The exact origin of this castle, located on a plain near the state highway, has not yet been established. The oldest part, with a chapel and a central square tower surrounded by defensive walls, probably dates back to the 10th-12th centuries, as it is characteristic of the Valdostan castles of that period. In 1420, a certain Jean Sarriod ordered to build a real castle next to the tower, which was known as Turris Sariodorum - for this, several additional structures were added to the tower. At the same time, a spiral staircase was built in the tower and cross windows of cut stone were added - these elements were typical of 15th century architecture. In 1478, Antoine Sarriod de la Tour, son of Jean, consecrated an old chapel in honor of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Divine and ordered to paint its walls with frescoes depicting scenes of the Crucifixion. And the chapel itself was crowned with a small spire. Interestingly, fragments of frescoes from the 13th century are also preserved inside - the most significant are on the southern wall: in the upper part you can see the Crucifixion, in the lower part - the image of two saints, mermaids and grotesque figures, and between the windows - the Adoration of the Magi.

The main hall of the castle - the so-called Room of Heads - got its name from the ceiling supported by 171 brackets, carved in the form of grotesque figures - mythical monsters and animals with family crests. The creation of these figures dates back to around 1430. In general, the first mentions of the Sarriod family, politically connected, but not by blood ties, with the lords of the Bard, refers to the end of the 12th century.

At the end of the 15th century, semicircular and round towers were added to the defensive wall of the Sarriod de la Tour, and on the west side a new entrance was made with a portal with pointed arches and an arched vault with the coat of arms of the Sarriod family. A west-facing castle wing was added in the 16th century, and the north tower dates from the 17th century. Some of the wall paintings and the stucco fireplace are the work of 18th century masters. The castle remained in the ownership of the Sarriod de la Tour family until 1923, when it passed to the Bensa family from Genoa, and since 1970 it has been the property of the government of the Autonomous Region of Val d'Aosta.

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Topic: Castle Sarriod de la Tour description and photos - Italy: Val d'Aosta.