Oyace: Hiking, Landscapes and Cultural Heritage

Oyace offers a range of options for your stay: historic buildings and religious art on the one hand, and trails through valleys and over high mountain passes on the other. Points of interest include the octagonal La Tornalla tower, the Church of San Michele, chapels in Verdonaz and Chalambé, and several routes. If you’re looking for hotels in Oyace, you can use these themes to plan what you’d like to focus on during your stay.

Landscape and Nature in Oyace

At Ponte della Betenda, the Buthier has carved a 54-metre-deep gorge into the gneiss. To the northwest of Oyace, the rocky peaks of the Morion range rise up; their ridges form the watershed with the Ollomont valley. These striking landforms offer different points of reference for understanding the area: a gorge shaped by water on the one hand, and a mountain range with a watershed on the other.

The Vallone di Vessona is considered an area of natural significance with abundant wildlife. Deer, chamois, marmots and eagles are mentioned; individual sightings are not guaranteed. The edge of the Marais Vivier area also has a specific connection to nature and the landscape: fishing traditions are still practised in the adjacent canal.

Hiking Trails and Named Passes

The Tornalla Tour is well signposted and has no technical difficulties. As conditions can change with the seasons, check the current trail conditions before setting out. A section of Alta Via No. 1 crosses Oyace and connects the 2,783-metre-high Colle di Vessona with the 2,492-metre-high Col Breuson.

Regional hiking trail No. 105 runs through the Vallone di Verdona: it enters via the 2,645-metre-high Colle di Saint Barthèlemy and leaves via the 2,494-metre-high Col d’Arpeyssaou. For the Alta Via, two connected passes are named; for trail No. 105, the valley it crosses and its entry and exit passes are also described. These reference points help distinguish the routes without implying that their courses are the same.

Tower, Church and Religious Art

La Tornalla is an old, octagonal tower in Oyace, mentioned in documents dating from 1197 onwards. The Church of San Michele was built in 1788 to replace an earlier chapel, which is documented as early as 1623. Its furnishings include frescoes by the painter Margotti from 1914, including a depiction of the multiplication of the loaves with Christ in the hamlet of Le Ile. The church interior was restored in 2018; the church also houses a small museum of religious art.

The Museo Arte Sacra includes a carved wooden statue of Saint Michael from the 16th century, which has been heavily overpainted. Oyace is therefore home to different aspects of religious art: early 20th-century frescoes and a much older wooden figure. The dates help distinguish these works chronologically, while their shared connection to religious art offers another perspective on the area’s cultural heritage.

Chapels and Annual Celebrations

The Notre-Dame-des-Neiges chapel stands on the high pastures of Verdonaz at an altitude of 2,317 metres. It was built in 1942 using stones quarried on site. Lime and cement were carried up from Oyace on mules. The building’s history thus links its location on the high pastures with the transport of the other building materials.

The chapel of Chalambé dates from 1784 and was renovated in 2008. Every year on Easter Monday, a procession goes from the Church of San Michele to this chapel, followed by a mass and a final auction. Check the date and programme before travelling over Easter. A celebration in honour of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is also held every year on 5 August. It includes a mass followed by lunch organised by the Pro Loco of Oyace. For this event too, it is advisable to check the annual programme before travelling.

Sculptures Along the Path to La Tornalla

From 9 to 15 August 2022, five artisans created ten sculptures live in Oyace: Maurizio Bombino, Marcel Diemoz, Salvatore Fernando Di Mauro, Fausto Linty and Dante Marquet. The sculptures now decorate the Le Château playground and the path to La Tornalla. Together with the old tower, they form another cultural point of interest, connecting more recent craftwork with the historic village setting.

Discover more destinations: Chamois, Verrand, Introd, Charvensod, Champoluc, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Nus, Gaby

For the main travel overview: Aosta Valley.