The ancient places of worship

From the Church of San Nicola to the alpine chapels, art speaks the language of beauty and spirituality, offering insight into the deepest roots of La Thuile’s history. This journey, village by village, invites visitors to explore the area’s sacred sites.
It is both a dive into the past and a path of faith, tracing the stories of the people who have lived in this border region since the year 1000. Pleasant routes can be enjoyed on foot, by car, or via shuttle in winter, beginning at the Church of San Nicola in the town centre and leading to the chapels scattered across La Thuile’s hamlets.

There are two main itineraries:

•    The first heads towards Colle San Carlo, reaching the hamlet of Buic.
•    The second leads to Pont-Serrand, along the road to the Little St Bernard Pass.

These routes follow what was once the only connection to France, the Roman Road of the Gauls. The ancient chapels, built between the 17th and 19th centuries, adorn the roads of La Thuile, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. All are under the care of the parish Church of San Nicola, guardian of many precious sacred objects.

Towards Colle San Carlo

La Thuile (1465 m) – Moulin (1495 m) – Thovex (1520 m) – Clou (1528 m) – Buic (1530 m)

Dedicated to San Nicola, the parish church of La Thuile sits in the town centre. An ancient place of worship and silent witness to the community’s history, its existence is documented as far back as 1093. A parchment from the prevost of Saint Gilles of Verrès confirms the donation of the church and the Little St Bernard Hospice to the Saint Gilles convent by the Bishop of Aosta, Bosone II.

The parish of San Nicola came under the direct authority of the Bishop of Aosta in 1466. Over the centuries, it suffered dramatic plunders, culminating in the destructive fire of 1794, set by French troops. The current building dates from 1796, while much of its earlier story can be explored through La Thuile’s archives, offering a fascinating view of the region’s turbulent history.

The church, which includes the rectory, consists of a single nave, two side apses, and the presbytery. Inside, the apses feature fragments of altars with twisted columns, while behind the stone altar in the presbytery rests an 18th-century tabernacle from the convent of Santa Caterina in Aosta. A particularly notable piece is the wooden crucifix above the triumphal arch, dating from the 15th–16th centuries. This crucifix is revered by the community for a miraculous event in 1794: when French soldiers looted and destroyed the church, the crucifix remained unharmed. Many soldiers attempted to reach it by walking along the interior cornice and tragically perished causing the others to desist. The vault still bears the inscription:

“Haec Christi imago caeteris cunctis bello vastatis 1794 mirabiliter remansit. Deo gratias”
(“Among all things destroyed in the war of 1794, this image of Christ miraculously remained. Thanks be to God”).

The 1945 paintings by Ettore Mazzini, depicting episodes from the life of Christ and San Nicola, line the interior perimeter.

Leaving the parish church, the path continues along Via Paolo Debernard, reaching the Maison Debernard, home to the library and often hosting exhibitions. Its historical archive preserves documents tracing the evolution of La Thuile’s name over the centuries: from the Roman Ariolica, it became Thuilia, La Thueilli, and finally La Tuile. Was it named after the French tuile (tile), owing to local slate quarries, or from the cognomen Tullius, perhaps Tullius Cicero, Caesar’s lieutenant during the Gallic wars (54–52 BC)? The mystery remains, adding to the village’s charm.

Continuing along Via Debernard, you reach the Chapel of San Rocco, protector of plague victims, built in 1630 after a deadly outbreak caused by 6,000 invading German soldiers. Near the town hall, a left turn onto La Lunire, a steep road, leads to the hamlet of Moulin. While the water mills that gave the place its name no longer exist, the central Chapel of Sant’Anna remains.

Built in 1667, destroyed by the French, and rebuilt in 1742, it preserves an 18th-century wooden altar, complete with the statue of Saint Anna. The statues of San Giuseppe and San Gioacchino are now housed in the parish church.

Returning toward Moulin’s parking area and turning right, you reach Thovex, once a key hamlet providing essential services for locals and travellers: dairy, mill, bakery, and inn. Its name reflects the presence of tuff stone used for building, while Grand Trou was an old quarry. The 1767 chapel, dedicated to San Giacomo and the Madonna del Carmine, is now in ruins, with some wooden statues relocated to the parish church.

In front of Thovex lies Clou, historically a fenced settlement (from the Latin clusum). The small Chapel of San Lorenzo, built in 1650, houses several works by the painter Vauterin, including four 1825 canvases depicting San Gottardo, Sant’Alessio, Notre Dame du Tout Pouvoir, and the martyrdom of Sant’Erasmo. Two 17th-century paintings feature the Madonna and Child with accompanying saints.

The final stop is Buic (from boscus, “forest”). Houses align along the road with covered entrances, a central fountain, and washbasin. To the southwest stands the Chapel of Santa Lucia, built in the 19th century over a pre-existing oratory once dedicated to San Défendent. The saint appears in a 19th-century sculptural group alongside the Pietà, Santa Barbara, and Santa Lucia. A unique feature inside is an ancient fire pump, historically used by Buic residents to extinguish fires.

Towards the Little St Bernard Pass

Entrèves (1460 m) – Petite Golette (1485 m) – Pont-Serrand (1602 m)
From the Tourist Information Office, the route continues to Entrèves, crossing the bridge over the Rutor River. Nestled between the Rutor and Dora di Verney streams, the hamlet’s name literally means “between the waters.”

The Neo-Gothic Chapel of Entrèves is dedicated to Saint Barbara, revered by locals who credited her with sparing the village from the devastating 1794 fire that destroyed surrounding settlements. The current building dates to around 1876. On the altar, the statue of Saint Barbara is accompanied by San Giuseppe, while one of the five paintings around the altar depicts Saint Barbara herself. Also notable is a painting by Vauterin illustrating the martyrdom of Sant’Erasmo. The chapel also houses an 18th-century sculptural Pietà, now kept in the parish sacristy.

Adjacent to the chapel is a building from the 1800s, as well as a rural complex across the road, consisting of a manor house and farmhouse with characteristic pavilion-style roofs.

Continuing to Petite Golette, you reach the Chapel of the Visitation, which features an 18th-century painting incorporated into its wooden altar. In the parish church, visitors can also see statues of the Crowned Virgin, San Nicola, two angels holding instruments of the Passion, and a gilded Pietà sculpture from the 16th century, attributed to a sculptor from Aosta.

Following the state road to the Little St Bernard Pass, after approximately three kilometres you arrive at Pont-Serrand. The current bridge dates to 1872, but a viaduct already existed here in Roman times along the Strada per le Gallie, essential for crossing the deep rocky gorge of the Dora di Verney.

In the triangular area between the old and new roads to the border stands the Chapel of San Bernardo of Mentone, patron saint of mountaineers and travellers. Its façade features a painting of San Bernardo taming a chained dragon. Originally built in 1471, it was rebuilt in the mid-17th century. Inside, a wooden statue of the saint stands on the altar. A unique feature is the grille separating the officiant’s area from that of the faithful—the only example of its kind in La Thuile.

The entire village is worth exploring carefully. Despite restorations, the traditional architectural styles remain visible, from the mainly residential houses along the street to the rural structures, including the remains of the old Pont-Serrand mill, once powered by a water wheel.