Chiesa di Sant'Orso

Aosta


This intriguing church is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in the 15th century, when Giorgio di Challant of the ruling family ordered the original frescoes to be painted over and a new, lower roof installed.

All was not lost: the renovations left the upper levels of the frescoes intact above the new roofline. You can ask the warden to unlock the door, letting you clamber up a narrow flight of wooden steps into the cavity between the original and the 15th-century ceilings to view the well-preserved remnants.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Aosta attractions

2. Torre dei Fromage

0.13 MILES

Next to the Porta Praetoria, this imposing tower is named not for the love of French cheese (fromage) but rather after the last descendent of the medieval…

4. Arco di Augusto

0.13 MILES

This squat and rather austere triumphal arch was built in 25BC.

5. Teatro Romano

0.16 MILES

Part of the Roman theatre's 22m-high facade is still intact. In summer, performances are held in the better-preserved lower section.

6. Torre dei Balivi

0.17 MILES

This former 12th-century prison once formed a significant corner of Aosta's Roman wall.

7. Roman Bridge

0.2 MILES

This arched, cobbled Roman bridge, also know as the Pont de Pierre, crossed the River Buthier in the first century AD, but today it's high and dry (though…

8. Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta

0.38 MILES

The neoclassical facade of Aosta's cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are…