Baraing Castle
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
Leave the motorway exit at Pont-Saint-Martin and, after 160m, turn left onto the main road. After about 500 metres at the roundabout, take the first exit, following the signs for Perloz and the centre of Pont-Saint-Martin. Enter the town centre and after about 600m, at a square, turn left onto the regional road for Perloz.c Continue on the regional road for another 700m before meeting, just before the Baraing Castle, a junction on the left that leads to the free car park 🅿️ dedicated to the structure.
[0h04'] - [2.0km]
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Pont-Saint-Martin can also be reached by bus 🚌 with the company Vita Group, with the line Aosta - Pont-Saint-Martin: stop at the starting point and by train 🚊, with Trenitalia, line Turin - Aosta. The castle can then be reached on foot from the bus stop or the railway station.
.Introduction
On the rise above the village of Pont-Saint-Martin, the Baraing Castle stands as a magnificent testimony to the neo-Gothic taste of the 19th century. Built from 1883 onwards at the behest of Dr Pietro Annibale Baraing, an illustrious physician and philanthropist, the building reflects the elegance and refinement of the period, while at the same time distancing itself sharply from the traditional alpine architecture of the Aosta Valley. Baraing, known for his dedication to the community, not only dedicated himself to building this residence, but also promoted the construction of important public buildings such as the town hall and the village schools.
Description
The castle, completed in 1893, just a few months before the death of its founder, is a work that surprises with its unique aesthetics. With its light tones, decorative details and elegant forms, it seems more reminiscent of the Riviera atmosphere of the late 19th century than of the surrounding severe mountain landscape. The structure, enriched by a large garden with greenhouses and fountains, is an example of a stately residence designed to impress as much as to offer a comfortable refuge. Inside, you will find rooms that once hosted receptions and moments of leisure, a reflection of the lifestyle of a cultured and influential figure such as Dr Baraing.
After the death of Baraing's wife, Mrs Delfina Bianco, the property passed to the Municipality of Pont-Saint-Martin, as per her wishes. In 1931, the castle was put to public use and became the seat of the town hall, fulfilling this function until after the war. In later years, it housed the Regional Vocational Training Centre, thus contributing to the educational progress of the local community. However, decades of neglect risked compromising this precious historical testimony, until restoration work returned it to its former splendour.
Today, Baraing Castle is the headquarters of the Mont Rose Mountain Community, and continues to be a point of reference for the cultural and administrative life of the area. Its scenic location and architectural charm make it a must-see for visitors to Pont-Saint-Martin, inviting them to immerse themselves in its history and enjoy the breathtaking view of the village and surrounding mountains.
A curiosity surrounds this elegant structure: its unusual aesthetics, so different from local traditions, have often inspired tales and romantic suggestions. Some claim that Baraing wanted to recreate a refuge that evoked distant and ideal places, a tribute to a sophisticated world that went beyond the confines of his small Alpine village. This peculiarity, combined with its history and transformation over time, makes Baraing Castle a living symbol of the connection between past and present, a tangible example of how architecture can tell the vision and dreams of those who conceived it.
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