Collegiata di Sant'Orso
Collegiata dei Santi Pietro e Orso
A monastic complex famous for its 12th-century Romanesque cloister capitals and 11th-century Ottonian frescoes. It is the finest of Aosta's medieval art.
The Sant'Orso collegiate complex consists of the church, bell tower, monastic residence and cloister. The cloister was built in the 12th century. Roughly 40 of its stone columns have capitals carved with Bible stories, animals and scenes of daily life, making it a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture in the Alpine region. In the church's top attic are 11th-century Ottonian frescoes, which can be seen up close only by climbing scaffolding on a guided tour. The church is free to enter, while the cloister and attic frescoes are charged. Every year on 30–31 January, a fair with a history of a thousand years is held in the surrounding area, selling local woodcarvings and handicrafts. The complex lies about 100 m west of the Arch of Augustus.
Opening hours
Gallery approx. 09:00–19:00 (summer); shorter in winter
Nearby sights
- Porta Praetoria
- Arch of Augustus
- Roman Theatre of Aosta
- Piazza Émile Chanoux
- Aosta Cathedral
- Cryptoporticus of Aosta
- Regional Archaeological Museum
- Megalithic Area of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans