Arnad Upper Castle

The Upper Castle

The so-called “Upper Castle” of Arnad is a very old fortress that still cannot be visited because it is private, standing in a dominant position on a promontory near the Vallone di Machaby in the lower Aosta Valley.
Arnad has two castles: an upper and a lower one.
The one in question is one of the oldest fortified complexes in the entire Valley, dating as far back as 1100, at the time of the Lords of Bard.
At an unspecified time it was abandoned, which allowed the preservation of the Romanesque details, as there were no future interventions on the architecture of the manor. Work in progress at the Upper Castle of Arnad Today the castle is still the only one in the entire Aosta Valley that has never been studied in depth.
Lately, however, the manor has been undergoing restoration and enhancement, with the hope of bringing to light many interesting elements through archaeological excavations.
Currently the castle represents a very rare untainted historical example in the Aosta Valley, along with the castle of Ussel.
So it would be a pity not to investigate this ancient fortress more thoroughly.