Avise Cré Castle

The Castle of Cré, also known as the Ducrest fortress, is an ancient Aosta Valley fortification located on a landslide slope in the locality of Cré, next to the stream bed, and dominates the eastern flank of the village of Avise.
Although today the castle appears as a ruin in an advanced state of disrepair, it represents an important historical testimony to the Aosta Valley, flanked by the better-preserved Castles of Avise and of Blonay.

A Heritage in Ruins

Overgrown and overgrown, Cré Castle has suffered the collapse of its floors, leaving doors and windows with carved stone frames, probably dating back to the 16th century, according to historian André Zanotto.
Although now in ruins, the castle was originally erected around the 10th century, possibly by the noble d’Avise family, which refused to submit to the House of Savoy in 1191.
However, in 1243, Ugonetto II d’Avise recognized himself as a subject of Amadeus IV and was granted the fief of Avise.

The History of the d’Avise Family and the Ducrests

The d’Avise family, one of the oldest in the Aosta Valley, divided into several branches, taking their names from the castles they owned, including Cré, Blonay, Planaval, Montmayeur, Rochefort and, later, Arvier.
The castle of Cré, in particular, belonged to Pietro d’Avise, who in 1425 was deputy bailiff of Aosta.
Beginning in the second half of the 15th century, the stronghold passed to the Ducrest family, in the person of the ducal official Boniface Ducrest, a native of Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin in Savoy.
The Ducrests retained possession of the castle until their extinction in the early 18th century.

A Silent Witness to Valdostan History.

Today, Cré Castle, reduced to ruins, continues to silently dominate the landscape, evoking stories of noble families and ancient power struggles.
Despite its abandoned state, the castle remains a symbol of the Aosta Valley’s rich historical heritage, attracting the attention of historians and enthusiasts of medieval architecture.