Etroubles, where history unfolds along the Via Francigena

Situated in the middle valley of the Great St Bernard, Etroubles is a medieval village that once served as a guard post and strategic hub along the famous Via Francigena, the pilgrims’ route to Rome. This village in the Aosta Valley retains a neat, orderly charm, characterised by cobbled streets and an atmosphere of times gone by. Every summer, on 8 August to be precise, the village comes alive with the traditional “Veillà”, now in its forty-first year. During this evening of celebration, the locals re-enact daily life from the past, demonstrating ancient crafts such as making fontina cheese, carding wool and forging iron. Amidst parades of historical masks and the traditional “landzette” – the valley’s carnival costumes evoking the passage of Napoleon’s troops – visitors can sample the typical “seuppa freida” (stale black bread soaked in wine) and other local specialities accompanied by regional wines.