Aosta

Aosta is the capital and largest city of the Aosta Valley, a special area in the Alps where people speak two languages. This beautiful place is found about 110 km north-northwest of Turin in Italy.

The city sits near two important tunnels: the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the Great St Bernard Tunnel. These tunnels connect Italy with France. Aosta is also where the Buthier and Dora Baltea rivers meet, and it lies at the crossing point of two famous mountain passes.

Today, Aosta is home to over 33,000 people. Its mix of cultures, history, and natural beauty makes it a special place to visit and learn about.

History

Aosta has a very old history. It was first settled a long time ago and later became an important place for a group of people called the Salassi. Many of them were defeated by the Romans in 25 BC. The Romans then built a colony there called Augusta Praetoria Salassorum for retired soldiers.

After the Roman Empire fell, Aosta was taken over by different groups, including the Burgundians, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, and Lombards. Later, it became important as a stop on a major road called the Via Francigena, which led from Aachen to Italy. Over time, Aosta was part of different kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Burgundy and the lands of the Counts of Savoy.

Climate

Aosta is protected from heavy rain by the Mont Blanc massif. It has a humid subtropical climate, which means it has hot summers and cool to very cold winters. The city also tends to be relatively dry throughout the year.

Demographics

As of 2026, Aosta has a population of 33,127 people. About 47.4% of them are male, and 52.6% are female. Young people make up 13.5% of the population, while older adults make up 29%.

Immigration

In 2025, out of 32,479 residents whose birthplace was known, most were from Italy (28,553 people, or 87.9%). Other groups come from Morocco (733 people, or 2.3%), Romania (678 people, or 2.1%), Albania (464 people, or 1.4%), the Dominican Republic (232 people, or 0.7%), France (218 people, or 0.7%), and Moldova (182 people, or 0.6%).

Main sights

The ancient town walls of Augusta Prætoria Salassorum are still mostly intact. They form a rectangle that is 724 by 572 metres long and 6.4 metres high. These walls are made of concrete with stone blocks on the outside.

There are towers placed at angles and intervals along the walls, with two towers at each of the four gates. In total, there were twenty towers. Some of the well-preserved towers include the Tour du Lépreux, Tourneuve, Tour du Pailleron, and the Tower of Bramafan.

The south and east gates of the town are still standing. The east gate, called the Porta Praetoria, has three arches and two towers on either side. The streets in the town are laid out in a grid pattern, similar to Roman cities, with a main road running east to west.

Other important sights include the remains of a Roman theatre, the Arch of Augustus outside the town walls, and the Roman bridge called Pont d'Aël. There are also ancient roads, bridges, and buildings like the Cathedral and the Collegiate church of Saint Ursus.

Transport

Aosta is a key point where important roads meet. It lies on two main roads: one connects to the Little St Bernard Pass on the border between Italy and France, and the other connects to the Great St Bernard Pass on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The city is also linked by the A5 motorway running between Turin and Courmayeur.

The city has a train station that opened in 1886. Trains run from Aosta to Ivrea, but the line to Pré-Saint-Didier was closed in 2015. Buses leave from near the train station and go to nearby valleys as well as cities like Turin, Milan, Chamonix, and Martigny. There is an airport about 5 km east of Aosta, but it doesn’t have regular flights. The closest airports are Turin Airport, about 65 km south, and Geneva Airport, about 109 km northwest.

Notable people

Aosta has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Anselm of Aosta was an important Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. Xavier de Maistre was a writer who lived from 1763 to 1852 and wrote a book called The leper from Aosta in 1811. Laurent Cerise, a French doctor, was born in Aosta in 1807 and lived until 1869. Innocenzo Manzetti, an inventor from Italy, was also born in Aosta in 1826 and passed away in 1877.

List of mayors of Aosta Anselm of Aosta Archbishop of Canterbury Xavier de Maistre Laurent Cerise Innocenzo Manzetti