Maison de Cogne “Gerard-Dayne”, Cogne

La Maison de Cogne Gérard-Dayné is one of the greatest examples of traditional Aosta Valley architecture; it is an ancient rural house, traceable back to documents from the 17th century, which was donated by the last owners to the municipal administration specifically to allow the recovery and use of this important testimony of times past.

The Maison is located in Sonveulla, one of the historic areas of the village, one of the centers from which the centuries-old history of Cogne began.

The construction, particularly complex, highlights the main aspects of “wood and stone” architecture and the typical spaces of the Cogne house: the guided tour allows you to admire the cor, an internal covered space that served as an entrance, the beu, the place of domestic life and cohabitation between man and animal (which in Cogne persisted until the 20th century), the mézòn de fouà, in the stone part of the house (pèira), an area for processing milk and food products for the family.

The underground cellars show the places for food preservation (cheeses, vegetables, wine) during the long winter months.

The large hayloft, with its imposing structure made of sturdy wooden beams, has been converted into a space for temporary exhibitions; there is also a room entirely dedicated to the costume of Cogne.

Starting from summer 2011, in two rooms of the ancient house, objects from the Ceriana Collection are exhibited, a collection of antique objects donated by Mrs. Ceriana to the community of Cogne to be displayed at the Maison de Cogne Gérard-Dayné.