Castello Gamba

Above Châtillon, on a rocky knoll, stands a castle that looks old but is not. It was built at the very beginning of the 20th century. Today people come here to see painting and sculpture, from the 19th century to the present day.

A house for Angélique

Baron Carlo Maurizio Gamba had the castle built between 1901 and 1903, for himself and his wife, Angélique Passerin d’Entrèves. Both dates are carved on the façades. The plans were drawn up by the Turin architect Carlo Saroldi, who also designed the stables, the caretaker’s house, the terrace and the access paths. Angélique died in 1909, Carlo Maurizio in 1928. The castle then passed to the Passerin d’Entrèves family, before being bought by the Autonomous Region in 1982.

A museum of modern art

Since 2012 the castle has housed the regional collection of modern and contemporary art. It numbers more than a thousand works: paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs. About a hundred and fifty are on display in thirteen rooms, arranged both chronologically and by theme. You will come across painters who depicted the landscapes of the Aosta Valley, and leading names of 20th-century Italian art such as Felice Casorati, Carlo Carrà, Renato Guttuso, Giacomo Manzù and Lucio Fontana. Temporary exhibitions complete the visit.

The park and its sequoia

The castle is surrounded by a large English-style park, more than five hectares of trees from all over the world. The most impressive is a giant Californian sequoia, planted in 1888. From the terrace, there is a wide view over the central valley.

Visiting

Castello Gamba
Località Crêt-de-Breil
11024 Châtillon (AO)
+39 0166 563 252 · castellogamba.vda.it

Open Tuesday to Sunday (every day in July and August), 9 am–7 pm from April to September and 10 am–5 pm from October to March. Lift for people with reduced mobility.