Val d'Ayas

Antagnod

Champoluc

History of Ayas

The Valley of the Merchants

By: Comune di Ayas

Antagnod, piazzetta Chiesa San Martino

The name Ayas derives from the Latin Agatius, a name that would seem to derive from the first Roman colonist who settled in the valley which was originally occupied by the Salassi, a population of Celtic origin who devoted themselves to agriculture.

Initially it was a place where breeding, agriculture and hunting were practiced, but with the arrival of the Romans it also became an important commercial passage towards the Valais and therefore took the name of Krämertal, the valley of the merchants. In 515, the territory became part of the property of the monks of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune in Valais who introduced Christianity and influenced its culture. In fact, with the arrival of the Walser populations, the local language, the patois, underwent many influences and even today the dialect spoken in these places is very different from the other Valle d'Aosta patois. Even the architecture is similar to that of Valais and the upper Lys Valley and the important migrations made the village of Saint-Jacques take the name of Canton of the Allemans (Canton des Allemands). In the 1300s numerous territories in the valley became the property of the powerful Challant family, viscounts of Aosta, until the 1700th century and therefore the valley took the name of Challant-Ayas.

You can find out more through the MUSEO DIFFUSO project, currently under construction.

Contacts

On the same topic

antagnod

Val d'Ayas

Culture

The village of Antagnod

Woman in a Walser costume

Valsesia

Culture

Legends, songs and traditions

The traditional dress of Gressoney

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

The traditional dress of Gressoney

A precious Walser dress
antagnod

Val d'Ayas

Culture

The widespread museum of Ayas

Sacro Monte di Varallo

Valsesia

Culture

Lift Sacro Monte di Varallo

The Fort of Bard

Val d'Ayas

Culture

The Fort of Bard

From military fortress to cultural centre
Lo Pan Ner - pala pane e forno

Val d'Ayas

Culture

Lo Pan Ner

A celebration for a symbolic food of the mountain community
Queen Margaret of Savoy

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

Queen Margaret of Savoy in Gressoney

The Queen who loved Gressoney and Monte Rosa
Gressoney Castello

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

Savoia Castle

Queen Margherita's mansion with Monte Rosa view
 Walser village

Valsesia

Culture

The Walser age, alagna foundation

centro culturale

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

Walser Cultural Centre

The Preservation of Walser Culture
Castello di Issogne

Val d'Ayas

Culture

Issogne's Castle

Refined residence of the Counts of Challant
sabots esposti in un villaggio di Ayas

Val d'Ayas

Culture

The Sabots of Ayas

The collegiate church of Saint Gilles

Val d'Ayas

Culture

The collegiate church of Saint Gilles

Villaggio di Mascognaz

Val d'Ayas

Culture

Mascognaz village

A fairytale village made of chalets
Agenzia

Val d'Ayas

Active

The Agency Snow&Feelings accompanies you to discover the beauty of Monterosa

Cinema Saint'Anna

Val d'Ayas

Culture

Sant'Anna Cinema

Gressoney dall'alto

Valle di Gressoney

In town

How to reach us

Getting to Gressoney is very simple
Walser women's dress from Gressoney

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

History & Culture Gressoney

Gressoney and its History
Lyskamm

Valle di Gressoney

Culture

The seven men who conquered the glaciers

The history of modern mountaineering was born in Gressoney

Browse