Introd Castle

Introd lies at the entrance to the Gran Paradiso National Park, between the Dora di Rhêmes and the Savara stream. The castle overlooks this junction. Its shape is found nowhere else in the valley: its enclosure is almost round.

A tower, then a castle

It began as a simple square tower, from the 12th century, surrounded by a wall. A document of 1244 already mentions this tower. Around 1260, Pierre Sarriod enlarged it and made it a true fortress. The Sarriod family would hold Introd for centuries. In 1420, the family split into two branches: the Sarriod de la Tour and the Sarriod d’Introd.

A rounded enclosure

In the 15th century, new works gave the castle its polygonal, almost circular plan, tightly wrapped around the keep. In the great hall, a painted frieze shows a series of small scenes, each with a different tree. From the top of the tower you can see as far as Mont Blanc.

Two fires and a restoration

At the end of the 19th century and again in the early 20th, two fires devastated the castle. The owner at the time, the Chevalier Gonella, entrusted the rebuilding to the architect Jean Chevalley from 1910. He drew on other castles in the valley. The present appearance largely comes from this work. The Counts Caracciolo di Brienza later inherited it. The Region bought it in 2023.

The Ola and the granary

Next to the castle, two buildings are worth a look. The wooden granary dates from the Middle Ages. The Ola, a large 14th-century barn and cowshed, rests on enormous stone pillars. You can also see the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, which houses the visitor reception.

Visiting

Introd Castle
Frazione Plan d’Introd
11010 Introd (AO)
grand-paradis.it

Guided tours only, in the warmer months. In 2026, a few weekends in spring, then every day from 27 June, by booking, with evening tours ‘Au clair de la lune’ (by moonlight) in July, August and September. The castle is run by the municipality together with the Fondation Grand-Paradis: check the dates on its website before you come.