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, already documented in the 17th century, which was donated by the last owners to the municipal administration precisely to allow the recovery and enjoyment of this important testimony of past times.

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

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

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

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