On the roads of vineyards and history 
at the gateway to the Aosta Valley

The itinerary develops between the municipalities of Donnas and Pont-Saint-Martin: we are at the mouth of the Aosta Valley, which has always been a place of transit to reach the Alpine passes and the scene of struggles, in the past, for control of the territory. In this area, the morphology, characterized by very steep slopes, prompted men in the past to build terraces to recover land to devote to agriculture and the cultivation of vineyards.

Starting point of the route is the Pont-Saint-Martin train station. Upon exiting the station, proceed left along the railway for about 100 meters and then turn right and continue toward the town center, skirting the Lys stream to the Public Gardens.

Looking up, one can see in front the remains of the ancient castle built by the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin in the 11th century, which still towers over and controls the village. Just below stands the Baraing castle , commissioned by the doctor of the same name, entirely in neo-Gothic style and finished in 1893. In 1931 it was donated to the municipality of Pont-Saint-Martin by the doctor’s widow and, after modern renovations, used as the headquarters of the Comunità Montana Mont Rose.

A footbridge on the left allows us to cross the Lys and arrive at the heart of Pont-Saint-Martin and its history: the magnificent Roman bridge The ancient consular road of Gaul passed over this single-arch bridge, anchored to the living rock on both sides, which served its function for two millennia until modern times made it necessary to build a smoother bridge in 1836. Legend has it that two prominent figures were responsible for its construction: St. Martin, which gives the name to the village, and the devil himself. Every year that legend is celebrated by the historic carnival. A small museum at the foot of the bridge allows visitors to learn more about the history of the Roman bridge and Pont-Saint-Martin.

From the square 1° Maggio, follow the mule track to Perloz, and a little further on, you reach the striking Fontaney Church , which reproduces in miniature the floor plan of Aosta Cathedral. Built in the late 1500s by Baron Pierre of Vallaise, it was soon erected into a parish church and remained so until 1839 when the new parish church was inaugurated further down. Thanks to restoration work, it is possible to admire the church and the frescoes on the façade depicting scenes from the Holy Scriptures. Very impressive is the adjacent ancient cemetery.

Continue uphill until you cross the path numbered 103 A to reach the Strada dei Vigneti (Vineyard Road). It is a road free of traffic and difficulty but very scenic over the lower Dora Valley, the Bard Gorge, and the spectacular vineyards of Donnas.

The particular morphology at the mouth of the Aosta Valley, characterized by very steep slopes, prompted men in the past to build terraces to recover land for agriculture and the cultivation of vineyards. Even today, these vineyards are called heroic because winegrowers wrested from the mountain with great effort. The dry-stone walls of the terraces were built with stones recovered on site, as high as more than six meters, and steps that exceed 60 percent slope: conditions that still oblige the “vignerons” (winegrowers) to manual labor on stages with a variable rise that sometimes exceeds 30 centimeters.

On the terraces were built the topie(arbors) that support the vines, and under the giant boulders were recovered the Barmet,i.e., cellars, purely underground, where in a basin is collected rainwater beneficial to the vigneronfor his work. In the Barmets, the temperature is always constant and particularly suitable for wine preservation. As a total immersion, it is possible to visit two historic vineyards that have been recovered thanks to the Interreg Alcotra project “Vi.A.-Route des vignobles alpins/Strada dei vigneti alpini”: the first in the locality of Ronc de Vaccaz is easily accessible to all, the second, at a distance of about 300 meters by airline, called Ronc Chenuil, stands on 13 terraces whose maximum width varies between 5 and 6 meters. The Ronc Chenuil vineyard is equipped in some parts with ropes so that visitors can descend the terraces safely, given the steep slope. Some spectacular passages show the difficulties working the vines on these “heroic” terraces. Both have been equipped with explanatory panels explaining the history of local viticulture.

Nebbiolo is mainly grown in these areas: a vine suitable for terraced arbors, known as Picotendro (the berry is, in fact, small and tender). It should be noted that the Vallée d’Aoste Donnas DOC was the first wine from the Aosta Valley to obtain the Controlled Designation of Origin in 1971. For those who want to learn more about the history of Donnas and its vineyards, a visit to the Wine Ecomuseum , housed in the Anna Caterina Selve kindergarten cellars, is recommended. Finally, an unmissable stop for those who want to buy and taste Vallée d’Aoste Donnas DOC is the Caves Cooperatives de Donnas .

Given the first houses of Donnas, the itinerary turns right, and continuing through the vineyards, we reach the old Treby turnery dairy , founded in 1897 in the headquarters of the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit. The building was entirely restored and turned into an ethnographic museum in 2003, furnished with equipment and materials once used for milk processing; a fresco depicting the Last Supper confirms the existence of the confraternity as early as 1012, and many paintings testify to the work done on behalf of the community.

Take advantage of the ancient village of Donnas , which arose along the Consular Way of the Gauls and became, from the 13th century, an important administrative and economic center, so much so that Count Aimon of Savoy established a mint in the 14th century. Evidence of the medieval past is plentiful as soon as one crosses the ancient eastern gate: wall frescoes, mullioned windows, groined windows, and portals with inscriptions that hark back to a bygone era, when village streets were crowded with merchants and pilgrims passing along the Via Francigena. The hamlet ends with the Chapel of Sant’Orso , mentioned as early as the 12th century, built perhaps to protect against the flooding of the Dora Baltea River. Just beyond the chapel, you can admire one of the most spectacular stretches of the Roman Way of the Gauls : the Romans chiseled the living rock for more than 200 meters. Past the arch carved into the stone, you can see the deep furrows left over the centuries by chariots and a milestone indicating the XXXVI miles that were still missing to reach ancient Augusta Praetoria. This beautiful village comes alive yearly during the Sant’Orso Fair , considered a precursor to the event of the same name in Aosta.

Those who want to taste some of the delicacies of the Aosta Valley can make a detour to the Bonne Vallée farm, located in the hamlet of Vert, on the other side of the Dora Baltea River.

Returning to Donnas along Highway 26, we recommend a stop at the Nicoletta dairy farm, the Vallet dairy, and the Pianta Grossa winery.

Continuing along the straight road toward Pont-Saint-Martin, one enters the village again and, just past the Piazza 1° Maggio, turns right to pass the parish church of San Lorenzo and reach the fortified house known as “l Castel.” The lords of Pont-Saint-Martin moved here in the 15th century, and it remained their property until the extinction of the family in 1736. The municipality now owns it, and restoration work in 2012 has made it possible to recover the building and turn it into a museum center. From the fortress house, turn right, reach the public gardens, following the outward route back to the train station.

To shorten the route along Highway 26, return to the Pont-Saint-Martin train station by bus, the direction of Carema.

The route is feasible on foot and by bicycle.

Technical data on the route

Length: 11.4 km

Minimum altitude: 312 m

Maximum altitude: 446 m

Height difference: 229 m

Agritourism refreshments:

farm holiday Le Rocher fleuri in Donnas

Farmhouse Lou Rosè in Donnas

Farmhouse Le Moineau in Donnas

Farmhouse La Grange in Pont-Saint-Martin

For information on schedules of the Carema-Montjovet circular: click here