Introd Castle

A stratified manor, surrounded by the history of Valdostane castles

When is it open: see the "for further information" section at the bottom of the page

What's not to be missed: The "justice hall" and the outdoor granary

Where is it: the Municipality of Introd

Why? … Because it's worth it: original architecture, which is almost round; the most recent castle to have opened, set in a picturesque park

The primitive castle probably dates back to the beginning of the XIII century. Like Graines Castle, it was originally a square keep surrounded by a wall. Around 1260 Pierre Sarriod of Introd transformed the primitive building which, following modifications in the XV century, took on a polygon, almost round, appearance that distinguishes it from the other Valdostane castles. These transformations mark the apogee of the Sarriod family, which up to 1420 reunited the Lords of Introd and La Tour (Saint-Pierre), who laterseparated into 2 different family lineages. The castle suffered

two disastrous fires during the second half of the nineteenth century and was rebuilt, at the start of the twentieth century, by the then owner, Sir Gonella, who employed the architect Giovanni Chevalley. The ruins in front of the castle host a magnificent building and a rare example of buildings made entirely from wood , typical architecture from the local, Late Middle Ages: a fifteenth-century granary used to storegrain and seeds. The two doors have their original cast iron locks, ; one is particularly beautiful and represents a manor.

The building beside the castle, called the "Cascina L'Ola", was used in the past as a stable and shed for animals and hay by the Lords of Introd. The most recent part of the old building is the area supported by five pillars and covered by an overhanging roof. The western wing hosts an important door lintel, decorated with a keel-shaped arch motif.