Aymavilles

Information sheet

Area: 53.41 square km
Altitude: 640m
Maximum elevation: La Grivola (3969m)
Number of inhabitants: 1962
Name in dialect: Le S-Amaveulle
Inhabitant name: Aymavillois - Amaveullen, Amaveullentse
Patron Saint: La Royauté du Christ (20 November)
Website:www.comune.aymavilles.ao.it
Webcam:
Neighbouring municipalities: Cogne, Gressan, Jovençan, Saint-Pierre, Sarre, Valsavarenche, Villeneuve
Villages and hamlets: Bettex, Caouz, Cerignan, Chabloz, Champessolin, Champlan, Champleval-Dessous, Château, Chef-Lieu, Cheriettes, Chevril, Clos Savin, Crétaz Saint Martin, Croux, Dialley, Ferrière, Folliex, Fournier, Glassier, La Camagne, La Cleyvaz, La Poyaz, La Roche, Micheley, Montbel, Moulins, Ozein (Belley, Chantel, Dailley, La Charrère, Murasses, Vers Les Prés, Ville), Pesse, Pompiod, Pont d'Ael, Saint Léger, Saint Maurice, Seissogne, Sylvenoire, Turlin (Chanaberta, Turlin Dessous, Turlin Dessus), Urbains, Venoir, Vercellod, Vieyes, Villetos
Highlands:

Description

A commune at the bottom of the valley located a few kilometres west of Aosta.
The toponym, according to a first hypothesis, would be composed of two parts: the first "Ayma", would derive from the name of the Roman citizen, Caius Avilius Aimo, who had the spectacular aqueduct-bridge built in the locality of Pondel in the year 3 B.C., as recalled by an inscription walled into the wall. The second part of the place name, 'villes', would seem to date back to the presence of two different communities in the area, at least since the Middle Ages. In fact, following the conflicts and reconciliations that occurred between the two parishes of Saint-Léger and Saint-Martin, much of the history of the village can be written. Other hypotheses have followed, up to the most recent one that foresees the existence around the 6th century of an Amatus or Amata, followed by the suffix villa understood in the sense attributed to it by the Germanic (Frankish) peoples, i.e. rural village. (J.-C. Perrin, Aymavilles, t. I, Aosta 1997, p. 48-53).
But the most important vestiges of the past, apart from the already mentioned Roman aqueduct, are those represented by the castle. The building is singular in shape, consisting of four crenellated towers added in the 14th century to a pre-existing building. It was Aimone di Challant, who had just received the seigniory of Aymavilles from the Savoys and who would thus give rise to an important collateral branch of the main noble family of Valle d'Aosta, who was responsible for this first major restoration.
A second restoration of the castle, more for residential than military purposes, is attributed to Baron Joseph-Félix de Challant, who around 1730 gave it the baroque air that we can still admire today. Today, the building is owned by the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta.
In the past, the village's economy was predominantly agricultural, as can still be seen in a number of evocatively beautiful mid-mountain villages (Ozein, Vieyes and Sylvenoire), but the metallurgical industry also played an important role between the 17th and 19th centuries. Nowadays, the proportion of the population dedicated to agriculture is, predictably, largely a minority, but apple production and the wine sector have also achieved prestigious results.