Pioule, from Bourg de Donnas

Description

Leave the car behind and walk for a hundred or so metres on a slightly uphill tarmac road to the hamlet of Bondon; on the left, immediately in front of the first houses, is the start of path 8, steep between beautiful low walls, which with a series of beautiful twists and turns leads to the Croix de Pioule, a beautiful oratory that has recently been renovated, around which, on boulders marked with red paint, are signs indicating the boundaries of plots of land. At the oratory, turn left and continue along a beautiful mule track, amidst huge boulders, to Pioule. The village is curious, there are two notable frescoes of the Madonna of Oropa, to whom the people of Valle d'Aosta are very devoted, one quite faded, the other somewhat naive; one of the houses rests on a huge rock. One of the houses stands on an enormous rock. In the village, you can see ancient canals that suggest the use of water for hydraulic purposes.
From the village, take a few steps up to the farm road and follow it to the left, path 6A, until you reach the hamlet of Albard di Donnas, and its delightful little church. Take the road to the left and descend along it back to the car. Beautiful views of vineyards and the plain of Donnas below.