Bard – one of the most beautiful villages in Italy

A small municipality in the Aosta Valley, Bard fully deserves its place among the most beautiful villages in Italy thanks to its scenic and cultural wonders.

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The territory of Bard and its history

A medieval village with only 105 inhabitants, Bard is located at the narrowest point of the Dora Baltea valley and has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, as evidenced by the discovery of several stone carvings. Later, in Roman times, it became a crossing point along the Via delle Gallie, a Roman consular road built by Augustus to connect the Po Valley with Gaul. After the long rule of the Bard family, it was considered, due to its strategic position, a stronghold against invasions. Finally, during the Fascist period, it incorporated the nearby municipality of Hône.

Monuments and places of interest

Despite its small size, Bard boasts numerous monuments and points of interest, including:

• The Fort of Bard, a fortified complex originally built in the early 11th century and rebuilt in the 19th century by the House of Savoy on the rock overlooking the village. Today it is a major attraction open to visitors in all its areas and hosts various events such as the Marché au Fort (a fair of typical Aosta Valley products) and the re-enactment of the siege by Napoleonic troops. The fort is also well known in art and cinema: for example, it was used as a filming location for Avengers: Age of Ultron, directed by Joss Whedon.
• The museum hub of the fortress, which is divided into: the Museum of the Alps, the Fort Museum, the “Alps for Kids” section, the “Stairway of Time,” exhibition spaces for temporary shows, the prisons, areas for music and open-air theater, conference rooms, and classrooms for schools. Near the fort, there is also an important archaeological geosite with rock engravings and a so-called “fertility stone,” linked to a prehistoric ritual reconstructed thanks to the carvings, known as the “women’s slide.”
• The parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, dating back to the 12th century, still characterized by a bell tower in its original Romanesque style.
• Casa Challant, headquarters for the restoration of the fort and the village.
• Numerous 15th- and 16th-century buildings, including Casa del Vescovo, Casa Valperga, Casa Ciucca, and Casa della Meridiana. Among these is also the 18th-century palace of the noble Nicole family, the last counts of Bard.
• The Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route, which passes through Bard coming from Arnad and Hône and heading towards Donnas and Pont-Saint-Martin.

Don’t miss the beauty of this place, rich in history!