Castles of Horns, Castello Reale di Sarre

The Royal Castle of Sarre: home of the Savoy family The castle stands on a promontory in Lalex, which overlooks the Aosta flatland above the national road for Mont Blanc, immediately after the junction for Cogne, surrounded by grape vines down its hill. Built in 1710 on the ruins of a fortress mentioned as early as 1242, having passed through various hands, the property was purchased by the King of Italy Victor Emanuel II, who renovated it and used it during hunting expeditions in Val d’Aosta. The royal castle of Sarre, after becoming the private property of the King, was used as his headquarters for expeditions in the valleys of Cogne, Rhêmes and Valsavarenche.King Umberto I, ordered to decorate the hall and gallery with 3612 horns of chamois and ibex. Today it also houses an exhibition, a fascinating historical and private narrative of the presence of the Savoy family in these valleys. WHAT TO SEE The castle can only be viewed by the guided tour. The ground floor introduces the guided tour of the upper floors; some rooms are dedicated to the hunting theme showing the territory, the management methods and the technical specifics of the King’s hunting trips. The first floor, which still retains the furnishings and appearance assumed in the second half of the 19th century, recalls the residential dimension of the castle’s Umbertine phase; the rooms are presented, with some exceptions, with the furniture documented by the 1890 inventory. On the second floor, the layout presents a setting for chronological scans linked to the members of the Savoy dynasty who lived in the castle from the beginning of the twentieth century to the second post-war period. How to get there by public transport: Sarre can be reached from Aosta by bus with the line 7 or the line 29 of the SVAP company, or the Aosta-Courmayeur line of the Arriva company. Opening hours: October to March: Tue-Sun from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. - open on Monday 30 October 2023 April to September: Tue-Sun from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. open on Mondays in July and August #castle #castello #castelloDiSarre