Ussel Castle
A great block of stone set on a spur, facing Châtillon
Ussel Castle belongs to the municipality of Châtillon. It stands on a rocky promontory above the valley floor. From a distance it looks like a large stone box: a single rectangular building, with no courtyard or separate keep.
The first castle built as a single block
Ussel dates from the 14th century. It was built around 1343 by Ebalo II of Challant, of the powerful family that then held much of the valley. It is often cited as the first “single-block” castle in the Aosta Valley. Until then, a castle had been a group of buildings scattered within a curtain wall, around a tower. At Ussel, everything is brought together in a single mass of masonry.
Defence remained the priority. The walls are thick. They are pierced with arrow slits and topped with battlements.
A gift to the Region
After centuries of use and neglect, the castle was bought by Baron Marcel Bich, the founder of the Bic pen company, whose family came from the Aosta Valley. He gave it to the Autonomous Region in 1983. The building was then restored.
Rooms for exhibitions
The restored rooms host temporary exhibitions. Some deal with the history of the region, others with the way people built in the Middle Ages. It is a chance to see the inside of the castle.
The view from the spur
On your way out, take time to look around you. The rock overlooks the central valley. You can see the villages clinging to the slopes, the forests and the mountains on both sides.
