Unité des Communes Évançon Issogne

Issogne is a small village of 1307 inhabitants located in the southeastern Aosta Valley, on the orographic right of the Dora Baltea River.
The small municipality is 39 km from Aosta and is built around its famous and enchanting castle, a perfectly preserved late-1400s mansion belonging to the noble Challant family.
The earliest datable finds in Issogne, referring to human presence, are from the Roman period.
In fact, the Via delle Gallie, a Roman consular road built by Augustus to connect the Po Valley with Gaul, passed through Issogne.
A historical document from the mid-12th century records the presence in Issogne of a stronghold belonging to the bishop of Aosta, who, however, due to a stormy relationship with neighboring lords, decided to cede the jurisdiction of Issogne to Captain Ibleto di Challant in 1341.
The influence of the Challants in the lower valley ended in 1841, when the last countess of Challant, Baroness Gabriella Canalis of Cumiana, died, leaving the memory of one of the most illustrious and long-lived noble families in the Savoy territories.
In the second half of the 18th century, after the end of feudalism, the Turin court tried to modernize the institutional structures of the state through reforms.
However, these did not gain the support of the largely conservative people of Valle d’Aosta, who were very attached to religious traditions.
In fact, the abolition of some religious festivals and the introduction of new taxes prompted some communities in the lower valley to rise up against Cavour’s government on December 26, 1853.
On the same night in Issogne, a group of insurgents seized the arms of the National Guard kept in the town hall and set fire to a flag of the Kingdom.
An arduous period for the community was during the two world wars where the community lost numerous soldiers.
Also, remember that during the 20-year period in Issogne, along with neighboring municipalities in the lower valley, anti-fascism and partisan bands took root.

In addition to the magical castle, Issogne offers many attractions and nature-based activities.
You can visit the church of Saint-Solutor, the shepherd’s crook that is the symbol of the municipality, and the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta.
You can taste typical local products such as black bread and honey and spend a nice day in the mountains at Alpe Aveuil from where you can appreciate a wide panorama of the lower valley.
We cannot fail to recommend the trail network, which has six themed walks (fuchsia, yellow, orange, green, blue and blue) ready to welcome those who want to discover Issogne’s most picturesque corners.