The medieval ruins of Châtel-Argent in the Aosta Valley

Châtel-Argent is a medieval castle located in the Alpine town of Villeneuve in the Aosta Valley of Italy. The site has seen human settlement since prehistoric times, including during the Roman Era. A chapel dedicated to Saint Columba of Sens was built there between 1050 and 1070. The castle first appears in a document in 1176 as "Castrum Argenteum" and was improved around 1275 under the direction of James St. George, the architect for Count Peter II. The castle was owned by the counts and the dukes of Savoy.

Overlooking the Dora Baltea River, the ruins cover about 6,300 square meters. The most prominent feature left in the ruins is a watchtower keep measuring just under 10 meters in diameter, which overlooks the town below. When the castle was whole, it was estimated to be able to hold 700 people in times of danger.

Visitors to the ruins can access the site from Villeneuve by walking a staircase carved into the rock of the valley wall. The castle remains a significant historical attraction in the Aosta Valley region, situated about 10 km west of the city of Aosta.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons