Aoste

Situation

The city is located at the junction of two important valleys for the communications. Most important is that of the Doire Baltée which goes up towards the Mont Blanc. The other valley is that of Buthier, which goes up towards the Large-Saint-Bernard and Martigny. Surrounded by high tops (Mont Blanc, Cervin, Mount Pink, Great Paradise) of the chain of the the Alps, the city communicates with the Suisse by the Col of the Large-Saint-Bernard, like by the tunnel and with the France by the Col of the Small-Saint-Bernard. While following Doire downstream, the city reaches easily Turin, the Piedmont and Milan. Since 1965, thanks to the opening of the Tunnel of Mont Blanc, the communication with Chamonix and the remainder of France is done in an easier way. Of the same since April 2007, the highway crossing the valley of Aoste arrives at a few hundred meters of the tunnel of Mont Blanc, thus supporting the transfer of the heavy trucks, moreover prohibited since on the trunk road 26.

History

This situation of crossroads explains the old occupation of the site. Aoste car its name of Augusta Praetoria , city created in the honor of Auguste. The roadway system is still marked by the squaring dating from the Romans. Moreover, the enclosing walls are visible at several places.

Aoste is one of the stages of the Via Francigena, way of driving pilgrimage to Rome. It is mentioned for this reason by Sigéric, in 990, with the mention XLVII Agusta (number of stage on the basis of Rome).

The Moyen-âge marked the city in the religious plan, with Anselme of Canterbury.

The architecture of the city keeps the traces of the various periods: Roman ruins (triumphal arch and theater, cryptoportic recently emphasized (April 16th, 2007)), medieval period (various fortifications and turns, church Saint-Bear).

Events

One of the more outstanding great events in the Vallée of Aoste is the Fair of the USSR Saint, whom one writes also Saint Bear. Not to confuse, as that can occur, with “Ours”, the animal. This fair with place on date fixes the January 30th and 31st of each year. To locate Holy Bear, this man was a character dealing with the poor, bringing benefits and comfort.

This religious demonstration at the beginning, which has just celebrated its 1007 years of history in 2007, gathers all the craftsmen of the valley coming to expose their works. Those are mainly in Bois carved, the Potstone is also present there, as well as pieces of metal, but one also sees there the lacemaker S of Cogne (museum), the Tisserand S of Champorcher still working with old a Weaving loom time (museum), and the tisserands of the Valgrisenche (museum). The fair of the Saint-Bear in Aoste, is preceded by two others Foire S, the fair of the Glaciers with Pre-Saint-Didier, and the fair of Saint-Bear with Donnas, quite as old as that of Aoste, but in less commercial. This fair takes place in the borough of Donnas, to 50 km approximately of Aoste, along old the Roman Voie of Gaules, which today one can admire the remainders.

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