Sarriod Castle - Sarriod de la Tour

Sarriod Castle, known locally as Sarriod de la Tour is an amazing medieval fortress, situated in the Italian Aosta Valley, in Saint Pierre. The ancient Sarriod Castle dominates the surrounding area of the equal hilly plateau covered with trees and is located very near the main road in the area.

Sarriod Castle is one of the most authentic medieval castles, which can be seen in Italy. The oldest part of the structure of the palace is the chapel which includes the central square tower or Donjon. It is surrounded by fortified walls, which is typical for most fortresses in the region, built between the 10th and 12th century.

In 1420 near Donjon, which at that time was called "turris Sariodorum", Jean Sarriod ordered a real castle to be raised, to perform the functions of the home and residence. As a result, she had built a series of structures and smaller buildings to the existing tower.

During this massive expansion of the castle a spiral staircase in donjin was built and windows in stone that typical architecture of that time were also included.

During 1478 the chapel was painted with precious frescoes of the crucifixion and St. Christopher. Today there are some preserved fragments of frescoes dating from the 13th century. Furthermore, the chapel of the castle was built higher, though not as large for a bell.

On the ground floor of the north wing you can see a large hall with a wooden ceiling, while the first floor there is a room - hall of heads, so named because of the wooden ceiling decorations. There you can see 171 heads that are carved into grotesque shapes of mythical monsters and animals. This room dates back to around 1430.

Better preserved are the remains of the castle around the upper south wall. The change in levels between rooms results from the construction of the palace at different periods and ages. The wing, which looks to the west, was built during the 16th century, while the north tower was built in the 17th century. Much of the murals were painted in the 18th century.

Sarriod de la Tour Castle remained the property of the eponymous family until 1928, when it was bought by the Bensa family of Genoa. Then in 1970 it is owned by the regional authorities and is turned into a museum where it can be considered a historical exhibition of works of art from the 13th -16th century.