Avise: Roman Traces and Historic Buildings

When planning a trip to Avise, you can choose to focus on cultural history or activities in the landscape. These include the Maison de Mosse, the bell tower of the parish church of San Brizio, and the remains of the Via delle Gallie, as well as a walk to the Cascata di Frenay, the Jovençan–Col de Citrin route, and mountain biking in the Conca di Vertosan. Depending on the activity, a starting point, destination, or approximate walking time can help you plan.

Historic Traces in Avise

The Maison de Mosse in Runaz was built by the lords of Avise between the 14th and 15th centuries, on the edge of the ancient Roman road. The building still has Late Gothic windows from the 16th century. The construction of the house and the windows therefore date to different centuries. Late Gothic refers to a late phase of Gothic architecture and adds a stylistic classification to the date. For the building’s history, the difference between the construction of the house and the later-dated windows provides a specific chronological reference point.

The archaeological remains of the Via delle Gallie in Condemine di Runaz include a massive retaining wall on the valley side. This is a different historic reference point from the Maison de Mosse: here, the focus is on the road’s structure, while the Maison is a building with Late Gothic windows. In Avise, the history of a building and the archaeological remains of an ancient road can therefore be explored as distinct topics.

The bell tower of the parish church of San Brizio was built around 1400. The same church is also home to the Museo di arte sacra. This brings architectural history and sacred art together in one place, although they are not the same subject: the tower is a dated building, while the museum focuses on sacred art. If you are particularly interested in architectural history or sacred art, you can consider these two cultural aspects separately.

Walk, Route, and Mountain Biking

An easy walk of about half an hour leads from the Lo Crou picnic area to the Cascata di Frenay waterfall. The starting point and destination are specified; the half-hour is an approximate guide, not an exact time. This gives you a time frame for planning, along with an explicitly easy difficulty rating.

The Jovençan–Col de Citrin route starts in Jovençan, in the municipality of Avise, and leads to the Col de Citrin. The two activities offer different points of reference: the walk is defined by its easy rating and approximate duration, while the route is defined by its journey from a named starting point to the pass. You can choose based on the type of activity that interests you: a walk with a time frame or a route with named start and end points.

The green Conca di Vertosan is suitable for mountain biking. This offers a different activity from the walk to the Cascata di Frenay: mountain biking is the focus in the Conca, while the Lo Crou outing follows a path to a specifically named waterfall.

Getting There and Practical Planning

The Pierre Taillée site is currently inaccessible due to hydrogeological risks. If you would like to include this place in your plans, check before visiting whether the situation has changed. Avise can be reached from Aosta by the Aosta–Courmayeur bus. Check the timetable before setting off so that you can plan your journey accordingly.

Discover more destinations: Breuil-Cervinia, Gressoney-La-Trinité, Doues, Gignod, Saint Vincent, Quart, Verrand, Nus

For the main travel overview: Aosta Valley.