Verrès

Verrès
Country	Italy
region	Aosta Valley
Coordinates	45 ° 40 ′  N , 7 ° 42 ′  E Coordinates: 45 ° 40 ′ 0 ″  N , 7 ° 42 ′ 0 ″  E
height	391  m slm
surface	8 km²
Residents	2,632 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density	329 inhabitants / km²
Post Code	11029
prefix	0125
ISTAT number	007073
Popular name	Verrezziesi (Italian) Verressiens (French)
Patron saint	Sant'Egidio
Website	Verrès

Verrès is an Italian commune with 2632 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019) in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley . During the time of fascism the place was called Castel Verres .

geography

Verrès lies at an altitude of 391  m slm on the left side of the Dora Baltea , at the entrance to the Ayas Valley , where the Évançon torrent flows into the Dora Baltea near Verrès. The municipality belongs to the Unité des Communes valdôtaines Évançon .

The neighboring municipalities are Arnad , Challand-Saint-Victor , Champdepraz , Issogne and Montjovet .

To the west of the village runs the A5 autostrada with junction (no. 70) Verrès . The Chivasso-Ivrea-Aosta railway, on which the Verrès station is located, runs parallel to this.

history

Founded by the Salassians , the ancient village of Verrès was known to the Romans for its diverse commercial functions. It is from them that its Latin name "Vitricium" comes from, which probably goes back to a former glassworks.

The place is dominated by an imposing castle, which was built on a rock at the entrance of the Ayas Valley. Built around 1390 by Yblet von Challant , the castle is a good example of a feudal fortress. The huge structure of the enormous stone cube (with a side length of 30 m) is characterized by its double arched windows in the shape of a cross, arched doors, the huge outside staircase and the colossal chimneys.

Church Saint-Gilles in Verrès

In the center of the village is the collegiate church of Saint-Gilles (it. Prevostura di Saint-Gilles , French: Prévôté de Saint-Gilles ), the architectural core of which dates back to the year 1000 and is in perfect symmetry to the fortress. Of particular interest is the triple-arched window in the back wall of the ancient chapel of Yblet. It is the most remarkable stone window in all of Aosta's Gothic architecture . Adjacent to this is the parish church of St. Egidius (it. Sant'Egidio , French: Saint Gilles ) built on the foundations of a Romanesque church .

The Murasse country house, which dates back to 1512, was used as a stable by the Challant family and consists of a crenellated wall on one side, the long, low stable with lowered vaults and the dovecote , symbol of the manor house and the privilege of the nobility.

The 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia over 170 km to Borgomanero started in Verrès in 1997 .

Verrès historical carnival

Carnival is particularly worth mentioning. The story of the castellan Catherine de Challant , the “friend of the people”, is brought back to life every year in period costumes by the people of Verrès, who still thank them today for the unusual and extraordinary gesture of that era. It was in 1450 that Catherine von Challant and her husband Pierre Sarriod d'Introd , led by some armed men, descended into the village of Verrès on the square near the church. At the first sound of the whistle and the drumbeat, everyone present began to dance and, after Catherine turned away from her husband, she too danced in the midst of the bold youth of the village. The enthusiasm had reached its peak and only one shout echoed through the air: "Vive Introd et Madame de Challant". The echo of this joyful call can still be heard clearly today. More than 500 years have passed since then, but even they could not erase the memory of that feast day.

Community partnerships

Verrès' partner municipality is Moûtiers in the French department of Savoie .

Web links

Commons : Verrès  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.