Introd Les Combes

The beautiful village of Les Combes, chosen as the summer home of Pope John Paul II ten times, is definitely one of the places you should not miss if you are near Introd.
This small yet charming village is situated on a moraine spur along the central valley between the towns of Introd and Arvier.
From les combes we can admire a spectacular panorama: from Mont Blanc, highlighted by the Giant’s Tooth and the Grandes Jorasses, to the Monte Rosa massif, passing through Ruitor, Emilius, Becca di Nona and Mont Fallère.
These splendid views are as many invitations to walk the trails that wind through pastures and forests.
It should also be known that Les Combes is part of the Balteo Trail hiking route.
The Pope visiting Les Combes: an oasis of peace in which to retreat As we mentioned earlier, from 1989 to 2004, John Paul II chose the small village of Les Combes several times for his rest period.
The Municipal Council of Introd, in 2004 in honor of the Holy Father, decided to name “Le Plan-du-Saint-Père” the place where the Holy Father spent his vacations and where the Angelus were held.
This place is surrounded by greenery and includes the clearing in front of the Salesian colony, near the Pontiff’s new residence.
During his vacations, John Paul II alternated relaxing excursions with intense moments of prayer and reflection, favored by the quietness of the place and the discretion of the inhabitants.
Often, the Pope would meet people during his excursions: usually pastors or residents, sometimes tourists.
For everyone there was a good word, a smile, a blessing and sometimes a rosary as a gift.
The Chapel of St. Lawrence in Les Combes di Introd has become a Shrine dedicated to St. John Paul II and a relic of the Holy Father is kept inside:a lock of hair.
The Altar is a work by Franco Chevrere that bears witness to an unforgettable day for the inhabitants of Les Combes.
Benedict XVI also chose Les Combes as a place of rest and prayer.
He stayed here in 2005 and 2006.
A lover of meditation, Pope Benedict XVI found His summer home an ideal refuge for reading and prayer thanks to the quietness that distinguishes the village.
The architecture of Les Combes d’Introd The traditional architecture of Les Combes is distinguished by stone, and is composed of large dwellings whose evolution developed from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century.
In the center of the village, alongside a few wooden barns, several massive stone buildings from the 15th century are preserved.
In some rural buildings we can see eaves supported by circular stone columns.
Such columns, symbolic of power, testify that a judge, a castellan or a notary lived in these rural-looking dwellings.
They were erected by skilled master builders, mainly from the Lys Valley, Gaby, and Issime, where several seasonal emigrants, specialists in stonework, who worked between the 16th and 19th centuries, stayed.
The circular columns are an architectural feature that has to do with the prestige of the stately estate of Introd Castle, L’Ola. In fact, the mighty appearance of L’Ola influenced the master builders who constructed rural dwellings in neighboring villages, such as in the Rhêmes Valley, and sporadically the houses of notables throughout the Aosta Valley.
Near Les Combes, in the village of Villes-dessus di Introd, stands the Maison Bruil, which belonged from the 17th to the 20th century to the Buillet et Bruil families.
The building houses an ethnographic museum on food in the mountains.
In short, if you are in Introd it is absolutely worth visiting this little slice of paradise that will offer you incredible views, and allow you to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.