The castle stands on a promontory in the locality of Lalex, overlooking the Aosta plain above the state road to Mont Blanc, just beyond the junction for Cogne.
Built in 1710 by Giovanni Francesco Ferrod of Arvier on the remains of a fortified house from 1242, after various ownership changes it was purchased in 1869 by the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II, who renovated it and used it as a residence during his hunting trips in the Aosta Valley.
The royal castle of Sarre, which became part of His Majesty’s private heritage, then became the headquarters used by the king for his expeditions in the valleys of Cogne, Rhêmes, and Valsavarenche.
To accommodate the first King of Italy, the residence underwent some modifications, including the raising of the tower and the construction of a new stable. Inside, the rooms were completely renovated and modernized. The curator of the Royal Palace of Milan was specially entrusted with the furnishing, providing it by transferring furniture from other royal residences.
Vittorio Emanuele’s successor, Umberto I (1844-1900), also dedicated the alpine castle to uses linked to hunting leisure.
In the last years of his reign, Umberto I paid particular attention to the Sarre residence, promoting its interior renovation. Among the works carried out at that time were important decorative campaigns in the monumental rooms, adorned with trophies of ibex and chamois.
The castle was also used as a summer residence by Queen Maria José in the years following the monarchy.
In 1989, the Aosta Valley Region purchased the complex to restore it. The castle, which presents itself as a longitudinal body with a square tower placed in the center, can be considered a museum of the Savoy presence in the Aosta Valley.
Information on Royal Castle
Frazione Lalex, 10
11019 Sarre (Aosta Valley/Vallée d’Aoste)
0165257539
l.maschio@regione.vda.it
https://www.regione.vda.it
from Oct. to Mar.: Tue. to Sun. 10:00–12:30 / 13:00–17:00 from Apr. to Aug.: every day 9:00–19:00 Season: every day 10:00–18:00
Source: MIBACT
