L’Artisanà, the Aosta Valley crafts institute

Behind the wooden, stone and fabric objects sold under a single label stands a public body: the Institut valdôtain de l’artisanat de tradition, now called L’Artisanà. It supports craftspeople, runs museums and keeps shops.

From IVAT to L’Artisanà

In July 2013, IVAT took the name L’Artisanà. According to the local press at the time, the aim was to make the body easier for the public to recognise. The new name brought together under one banner activities that had previously been separate. For craftspeople, “L’Artisanà” had always meant the shop in the centre of Aosta, where they left their creations after the Fair of Saint Ours.

A regional public body

L’Artisanà is an instrumental public body of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley. Its operation is governed by regional law 10/2007, amended in 2025. Its mission is to protect, promote and develop Aosta Valley crafts in their historical, traditional and artistic forms. Its head office is in rue de Chambéry, in Aosta.

A label for authenticity

According to the Region, the label represents more than 1,000 craftspeople. It guarantees the authenticity of the products and certifies where they come from. The objects are sold in the shops in Aosta, Ayas, Cogne and Courmayeur, as well as at a few partner outlets.

Museums and workshops

L’Artisanà runs the Museum of traditional Aosta Valley crafts in Fénis. It also looks after the Maison Musée Berton, opened in 2015 in the hamlet of Entrèves, in La Thuile. The brothers Louis and Robert Berton bequeathed their house and its contents to the municipality. About 200 objects are on show: crafts, Aosta Valley furniture, engravings, sacred art. The library holds about 4,200 books. Finally, the body offers activities for schools and families, as well as a support programme for young craft businesses.

Sources: Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley – IVAT, Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley – Maison Musée Berton, L’Artisanà – Chi siamo, Gazzetta Matin, 25 July 2013.