Aosta Émile Chanoux Square

Émile Chanoux Square

Émile Chanoux Square, the main square dedicated to the notary and politician who was a martyr of the Aosta Valley Resistance against Nazi-Fascism .

The square has a rectangular shape and is located in the central area of the city, from where some of the most important streets start, such as Jean-Baptiste de Tillier Street, Porte Prætoria Street, Hôtel des États Street, Xavier de Maistre Street, and Avenue Conseil des Commis .

The History of Émile Chanoux Square

The square has an ancient and interesting history!
Until the mid-19th century, in fact, it was occupied by the monastic complex of San Francesco, commissioned by Amedeo VI of Savoy in 1352 .
The monastery was demolished to make way for the town hall, designed in the neoclassical style by architect Michelangelo Bossi and inaugurated in 1841 .

The town hall (Hôtel de Ville) is one of the most beautiful and characteristic buildings in the square: its main façade is decorated with a pediment and two statues representing the two rivers that bathe the city: the Dora Baltea and the Buthier .
A clock and sundial stand out on the roof, while inside you can admire the ducal hall, with frescoes and inlays, and the former council chamber, with memorial plaques .

Next to the town hall is the Hôtel des États, an 18th-century building that housed the local legislative assembly under the Savoy Crown .
In the center of the square stands the monument to the Aosta Valley soldier, inaugurated in 1924 to replace the one dedicated to physician Laurent Cerise .

Émile Chanoux Square is a place full of history and life, where one can appreciate the architectural and cultural beauty of Aosta.