Quart Castle

Introduction

Description

The castle stands at the entrance to the Valsainte valley, guarding the important route along the valley floor. Historical sources date its construction to 1185 by the De Porta Sancti Ursi family, who left their home to the Porta Praetoria of Aosta at the end of the 12th century. In this castle they placed the jurisdictional centre of their large and important feud that extended over the basin south of Aosta and towards Valpelline. The noble family, which ended up borrowing the name De Quart from the locality, became extinct in 1377 when Henry de Quart died leaving no male heirs. The feud came under the direct control of the Savoys until the 16th century. After various changes of ownership, the manor was purchased by the Regional Administration in 1951.
The building, surrounded by a park with monumental trees, is accessed via a ramp that climbs along the southern flank. Once past the main gate and the first courtyard, the path spirals up to the rocky summit where the donjon, the primitive nucleus of the complex building, stands; fragments of fresco decoration dating from the 14th century have been found on its walls, the period when the castle was transformed from military to residential.
Surrounded by a mighty boundary wall with round watchtowers, the castle is made up of a group of buildings comprising reception and service areas, dwellings, stables and barns. The chapel was built at the beginning of the 17th century on an earlier building; the stuccos by Gabuti, dated 1606, are valuable.