Pont-Saint-Martin (Pon Sèn Marteun in Aosta Valley patois; Pont
San Martìn in Piedmontese; Martinstäg in Walser), is an Italian town
of 3,730 inhabitants in the southeastern Aosta Valley. Located at
the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta, at the base of the Lys valley, it
preserves the remains of the ancient Roman road to the Gauls called
via delle Gallie. Pont-Saint-Martin is a stage on the Via
Francigena, coming from the Great San Bernardo hill, before entering
Piedmont and heading through the vineyards towards Carema.
Crossed by the Dora Baltea, it rises in the extreme eastern part of
the Donnas plaine and is 40 km from Aosta. The municipal area
includes an urbanized part, located between 300 and 400 meters above
sea level on the dejection fan created by the mouth of the Lys
stream in the main furrow of the Aosta Valley, and a mountainous
area that extends eastwards and where it touches the maximum
altitude with Bec di Nona (2085 m).
The church of Fontaney, seat of the parish
until 1899;
Baraing Castle, belonging to the powerful family of
the same name;
The ruins of the Castle of Pont-Saint-Martin also
known as Château vieux or Castellaccio, located on a promontory, at
the end of the village.
The stronghold of Pont-Saint-Martin, also
known as' l Castel: it is located south of the parish church and was
the farm that served the castle on the promontory and which was
transformed into a stronghold when the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin
abandoned the Château vieux, possibly around the 16th century. After
a restoration financed by the municipality and with the Fospi fund
of the Valle d'Aosta Region, it was reopened to the public on 15
September 2012.
Suzey Castle, above Ivéry.
The Casaforte della
Rivoire, near via Émile Chanoux, from the 16th century; takes its
name from the locality of the same name, in Latin Roveriae
The Pont Saint-Martin
The town takes its name from the mighty
Roman bridge dedicated to San Martino di Tours, which crosses the
Lys stream. Built in the 1st century BC, over the course of almost
2,000 years it allowed the passage from the Eporedia region (today's
Ivrea) to the Aosta Valley. The bridge is 31m long and 23m high. It
was used until the 19th century, then a modern bridge was built.
Libraries
The municipal library is located in Via Resistenza 5.
Museums
Museum of the Pont Saint-Martin: the small museum of the
Roman bridge has been set up near the bridge, in a small exhibition room
accessible from a staircase under Piazza IV Novembre.
Events
The historical carnival of Pont-Saint-Martin
In the carnival of
Pont-Saint-Martin [18], the main characters are represented by the
devil, by San Martino, by the nymph of Lys with her two maids, by the
Romans and by the Salassi.
There is also the parade of the
traditional costumes of the eight insulæ, the historic districts of the
village, with their names in Latin:
Fundus Tauri
Insula Vernae
Insula Leonis
Plataea Primus Maius
Insula Pontis Romani
vicus
colubris
Insula Saint-Roch
Insula Lys
Then the chariot race
takes place, one for each insula.
Carnival ends on "mardi gras"
when a puppet of the devil is burned by the Roman bridge over the Lys,
in remembrance of the legend (see above).
Pre-Roman and Roman Foundations (Prehistory to 1st Century BC/AD)
The area was originally inhabited by the Salassi, a Celtic-Ligurian
people known for controlling Alpine passes, mining gold, and fiercely
resisting Roman expansion. Their defeat came in 25 BC when Emperor
Augustus’s forces conquered them, leading to the founding of Augusta
Praetoria (modern Aosta) as a military colony.
Pont-Saint-Martin
emerged as a critical transit hub. The Romans built the spectacular Pont
Saint-Martin (also called the Roman Bridge or “Devil’s Bridge” in
legend) as part of the Via delle Gallie (Gallic Consular Road), the main
artery linking the Po Valley to Gaul and enabling year-round Alpine
travel. Construction is dated to the late 1st century BC, with some
sources placing it around 120 BC and others tying it firmly to the
Augustan era (end of Augustus’s reign, 27 BC–14 AD, or specifically ~25
BC). Recent measurements confirm a single segmental stone arch spanning
approximately 31.4–36 m (one of the widest and most daring Roman arch
bridges in Europe at the time), 5.8 m wide, and roughly 25 m high,
anchored directly into the living rock on both banks. Wooden centering
beams were used during construction, and iron reinforcements were added
in the late 19th century for stability.
A popular medieval legend
(anachronistically linked to St. Martin of Tours, 4th century AD) claims
the devil built the bridge in one night in exchange for the soul of the
first creature to cross. St. Martin tricked him by sending a hungry dog
(or throwing bread to lure it), enraging the devil, who clawed a mark in
the arch (still visible) before being banished. This tale, along with
the Roman conquest of the Salassi and the legend of the Nymph of the Lys
(a local water spirit who nearly destroyed the village but relented),
forms the core of the town’s cultural identity.
Adjacent to the
bridge stands the Museum of the Roman Bridge, which displays
photographs, drawings, and artifacts illustrating its construction and
role in Romanizing the valley.
Post-Roman Invasions and Medieval
Feudal Period (5th–15th Centuries)
After the fall of the Western
Roman Empire, the area suffered successive invasions by Burgundians,
Ostrogoths, and Lombards. In 575 AD it was annexed to the Frankish
kingdom, and by the 10th century it fell under the Comitatus (county) of
the Aosta Valley.
In the 11th century, William of Bard erected a
fortification here. It passed to his descendant William, progenitor of
the Lords of Saint-Martin (a branch of the Bard noble family and vassals
of the House of Savoy). The toponym “Ponte San Martino” derives from
this period and the bridge. The family’s stronghold, known locally as ‘l
Castel (the fortified house of the lords), still stands in the historic
center behind the town hall near the parish church; it has been restored
and occasionally opens for exhibitions. Other medieval sites include the
ruins of Baraing Castle and Suzey Castle (near the Holay Pond nature
reserve). Later control shifted to the Vallaise family.
Modern
Era, Unification, and 20th Century
Under Savoy rule until the 19th
century, Pont-Saint-Martin remained the primary gateway into the Aosta
Valley (the only reliable access point for much of the region until road
improvements around 1831). It joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after
unification. Early 20th-century industrialization included the
construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Lys, harnessing the
river’s force.
The town’s most distinctive modern tradition is the
Historic Carnival, celebrated for over a century (founded in the early
1900s) from Shrove Thursday to Ash Wednesday. It dramatizes the
Roman–Salassi conflicts, the Devil’s Bridge legend, and the Nymph of the
Lys story through parades, costumed characters (including a rampaging
devil, Roman soldiers, consuls, the nymph, and district “insulae”
representatives), chariot and relay races, a bean feast (fagiolata), and
the dramatic burning of a devil effigy under the bridge. The festivities
open with a band playing the carnival anthem on Epiphany morning and
feature gastronomic events and music. A different local cast is chosen
each year. It remains one of the Aosta Valley’s most vibrant folk
events.
The darkest chapter came during World War II. On 23
August 1944, U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) bombers conducted a heavy raid
targeting the strategic bridge and road network (likely tied to German
supply lines or partisan activity in the valley). The attack took the
town completely by surprise, killing 130 civilians, devastating the
historic center (including the old church of San Giacomo), and leaving
houses in ruins. Miraculously, the Roman bridge survived intact. The
town holds an annual church service and concert to honor the victims.
Contemporary Pont-Saint-Martin
Today the town forms part of the
Unité des Communes Mont-Rose and serves as a base for exploring the Lys
Valley and the Cammino Balteo trekking route. The economy blends
tourism, light industry (concentrated in the lower valley), services,
and outdoor recreation (hiking, kayaking, fishing). It maintains
twin-town links with Pont-Saint-Martin in France and Bétera in Spain.
The Roman bridge, restored and pedestrian-friendly in places, remains
the heart of the community—symbol of endurance through conquest, legend,
war, and time.
According to legend, San Martino, passing through
the Via Francigena on a pilgrimage, made a pact with the devil. He
undertook to build a bridge overnight, in exchange for the soul of
the first living being that would pass through it. The next day, San
Martino released a little dog on the bridge, which was brutally
killed. In return, the devil left the inhabitants alone.
This
legend is part of the rich repertoire of the Lys valley, and is
revived every year in the historic carnival.
Location and Regional Context
Coordinates: 45°36′N 7°48′E
(approximately 45.600°N, 7.800°E).
Distance: Roughly 40 km southeast
of the regional capital Aosta and right on the border with Piedmont
(province of Turin).
Adjacent municipalities: Donnas and Perloz
(within Aosta Valley) to the west/north; Carema (TO) in Piedmont to the
south/east.
The town lies at the base (mouth) of the Lys Valley
(Valle del Lys / Valle di Gressoney), a major north-south tributary
valley that branches off the main Aosta Valley here. This strategic
position historically made it a key transit point on the ancient Via
delle Gallie (Roman road through the Alps) and today on the Via
Francigena pilgrimage route. It sits at the southeastern extremity of
the Aosta Valley proper, where the wide glacial trough opens toward the
Ivrea moraine amphitheater — a massive Quaternary glacial deposit that
forms the natural “doorstep” between the Alps and the Piedmont plain.
Topography and Relief
The municipal territory covers only 6.92
km² and spans a dramatic altitudinal range for its small size:
Lowest/urbanized areas: 300–400 m a.s.l. (town center ~345–350 m).
Highest point: Bec di Nona at 2,085 m a.s.l. in the eastern mountainous
section.
The core of the town occupies a debris cone (Italian:
conoide di deiezione) created by the Lys torrent where it debouches from
its steep side valley onto the flat main valley floor. This gives the
settlement a gently sloping, fan-shaped base. The eastern part of the
municipality lies within the Plaine de Donnas (a relatively flat
alluvial plain in the lower Aosta Valley), while the terrain rises
quickly eastward into rugged Alpine slopes and peaks.
In the broader
context of the Aosta Valley, Pont-Saint-Martin belongs to the Bassa
Valle (lower valley), which is markedly flatter and wider than the
narrow, steep-sided upper reaches near Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. The
entire Aosta Valley is a classic U-shaped glacial valley carved during
the Pleistocene; it terminates precisely around Pont-Saint-Martin at the
Ivrea moraine amphitheater, one of the most impressive glacial landforms
in the Alps.
Hydrography
Two major watercourses dominate the
landscape:
Dora Baltea (Doire Baltée) — the principal river of
the Aosta Valley — flows southeastward through the main valley floor
right past the town on its way to the Po Plain.
Lys torrent (Torrente
Lys) — a powerful left-bank tributary that drains the entire
Gressoney/Lys Valley. It joins the Dora Baltea after forming the debris
cone on which the town stands.
The famous Roman bridge (Ponte
Romano or Pont-Saint-Martin) — a single-span stone arch 31 m long and 23
m high, built in the 1st century BC — crosses the Lys torrent in the
historic center and gives the town its name. Several smaller torrents
(Pacoulla, Bouro, Giassit, Verouy, Rechanter/Rechantez) feed into the
system and are harnessed for small hydroelectric plants. A minor wetland
feature, the Riserva naturale stagno di Holay (Holay Swamp Nature
Reserve), lies within the municipal boundaries.
Climate
Pont-Saint-Martin experiences a temperate valley-bottom climate that is
noticeably milder than the cold continental conditions prevailing higher
in the Aosta Valley. Official Italian climate classification places it
in Zone E with 2,735 degree-days (indicating moderate heating demand).
Precipitation in the lower valley floor is relatively low (typically
under 600 mm/year) compared with 1,000–1,100 mm at higher elevations,
because surrounding high peaks block much Mediterranean and Atlantic
moisture. Summers are warm but rarely scorching; winters are cool with
occasional snow, though far less persistent than at higher altitudes
(where snow can last 8–9 months). The valley orientation funnels cold
air drainage at night, producing temperature inversions and occasional
fog in the lower reaches. Seismic risk is low (Zone 3–4).
Geology, Environment, and Land Use
The underlying geology reflects
intense Alpine orogeny and Quaternary glaciation: metamorphic and
igneous rocks of the Pennine/Graian Alps, mantled by thick glacial till,
moraines, and alluvial deposits at the valley mouth. The Ivrea moraine
amphitheater is the most significant regional landform, composed of
enormous ridges of glacial debris that dammed ancient lakes and shaped
the modern drainage pattern.
Environmentally, the area mixes:
Valley-floor agriculture and small industry (concentrated in the lower
Aosta Valley between Verrès and Pont-Saint-Martin).
Vineyards
(notable nearby in Carema).
Chestnut woods and mixed deciduous forest
on the lower slopes.
Coniferous forest and alpine meadows above
~1,500 m.
The town functions as a practical hub rather than a
high-mountain resort, serving as the entry point to the Lys/Gressoney
Valley (known for its Walser heritage and Monte Rosa views) while
remaining only minutes from the Piedmont plain.
Bois-dessous, Bois de Chavanne, Boschetto, Bousc Daré, Champ da Las, Chapret, Château, Chopon, Colombera, Corney, Diana, Fabiole, Fontaney, Ivéry, Liscoz, Magnin, Nadir, Nazareth, Perruchon, Ronc, Ronc-Grangia , Ronches, Saint-Roch, Sarus, Schigliatta, Stigliano, Suzey, Thuet, Valeille, Vietti, Vignollet.
As in many Aosta Valley municipalities, hydroelectric energy is also produced in the municipality of Pont-Saint-Martin. The plant of the same name, managed by the CVA, exploits the waters of the Pacoulla, Bouro, Giassit, Verouy and Rechanter (or Rechantez) streams.
Railways
The town has its own railway station a few hundred meters
from the centre, with a green pedestrian area next to it.
The station
is located on the Aosta-Chivasso railway.
The Pont-Saint-Martin -
Gressoney railway was a railway project that was to connect
Pont-Saint-Martin to the upper Lys Valley.
Soccer
Since 2013, Pont-Saint-Martin has been represented in
football by the supra-municipal company Pont Donnaz Hône Arnad Évançon
(signed PDHAE), which took over the legacy of the previous U.S.D.
Pont-Donnaz, never going beyond the regional divisions. Resulting from
the progressive merger of three clubs, in the years 2010-2020 the
P.D.H.A.E. he established himself at the top of Aosta Valley football,
winning participation in Serie D as his greatest success. His home field
is the municipal stadium of Montjovet; the company also uses the sports
field of Pont-Saint Martin.
Volleyball
The Pont-Saint-Martin
Volley Team, the women's team, plays in Pont-Saint-Martin.