If on the French side mountaineering was born in Chamonix, it is the village Courmayeur which gave birth to it on the Italian side. The two villages, which are only separated by a few kilometers and which are joined thanks to the Mont-Blanc tunnel, are nestled in two valleys which face the summit which will have aroused all Alpine passions, the Mont Blanc.
And since Courmayeur is in the Aosta Valley, let’s talk for a moment about the town of Aosta, where the street names are surprisingly written in French. French was the official language there for a long time, because Aosta belonged to the States of Savoy and was administered in French until the Italian unification. The city is also rich in Roman ruins and religious buildings.
Let’s go back to Courmayeur, this pretty village with slate roofs so characteristic of the Aosta Valley architecture.
It is in 1850 that the “Société des Guides Alpins” (guides society) was born – it is the second oldest company in the world after that of the prestigious Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix.
While Alpine tourism develops in Courmayeur, four mineral water springs are discovered and four thermal establishments are built.
The construction of ski lifts then the drilling of the Mont-Blanc tunnel in 1965 make Courmayeur a very sought-after vacation spot.
The Saint-Pantaléon-et-Saint-Valentin church replaces a religious building reported at this location in 1227. The astonishing bell tower belongs to the original structure but is topped with a point which dates from the 15th century. The rest of the building dates from the 18th century.
The altar dates from the 18th century and is made of black marble.
Courmayeur is a tiny and pretty village, but let’s face it, my heart belongs to Chamonix.
February 28, 2025
