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Rhêmes-Saint-Georges Municipality website
Rhêmes-Saint-Georges Municipality tourist info
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Must see in Rhêmes-Saint-Georges
Parish church of Saint-Georges
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Rhêmes-Saint-Georges
The territory of the municipality of Rhêmes-Saint-Georges is divided in half between the Gran Paradiso National Park and a private hunting reserve. It is a paradise for naturalists and those who love discreet mountains, offering daring summits to the boldest and the tranquillity of its 1,200 metres of altitude to those seeking refuge from the chaos of the city.
The alpine environment can be appreciated in all its variety: from the rustic landscapes of the valley bottom to coniferous forests, from alpine pastures to high-altitude environments. In every season, Saint-Georges offers unforgettable experiences to all mountain and nature lovers, thanks to the high-altitude trails, the marvellous views of the Gran Paradiso mountains, the explosion of flowers and the chamois and ibex grazing freely. Moreover, the mid-altitude trails can also be tackled on horseback or by mountain bike.
In particular, it is possible to reach Mont Pailasse, 2414 m, where a cross with a plaque has been erected, dedicated to Pope John Paul II, who passed through here twice. From Mont Pailasse it is possible to see all the highest mountains in the Aosta Valley (above 4,000 m).
In Rhêmes-Saint-Georges, nature is within the reach of children, who are guided to get to know and love it through the various environmental education initiatives, designed to help children experience the environment in the best possible way.
The hamlets, small villages and mountain pastures of Rhêmes-Saint-Georges speak of a population that has lived in these mountains for centuries in self-sufficient conditions, and still continues to live here today. This valley has been inhabited since ancient times, we are talking about 3000 years ago. Since then, living conditions remained virtually unchanged until the hard times of the 19th century, when the valley dwellers were forced to emigrate seasonally to work in Piedmont, Switzerland and France.
The Sen-Dzordzen specialised as ramoneurs (chimney sweeps) and colporteurs (peddlers). The spirit of solidarity, which bound them together even far from home, meant that they invented a new dialect, an ‘argot’ called dzargo di vouéco, traces of which remain in the local patois and in the memories of the elders, the true guardians of the community's history.
The parish church of Rhêmes-Saint-Georges is dedicated to St George, patron of the village, and was built during the 13th century. The building was completely renovated in 1713. Of the original mediaeval structure, today it retains the lower part of the bell tower, which bears traces of the Romanic style, and the foundations. Numerous chapels also belong to the municipality, almost all of which were built between the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Espace Loisir area includes the Maison Pellissier structure - where the main events in the area take place - the new sales outlet for typical products and the new cultural play park ‘Lo Berlò’, which combines traditional and interactive games. In particular, ‘Lo Smartus’ allows adults and children to discover the peculiarities of the area and can be continually updated with new games to arouse the interest of users.
