Chamois, Aosta Valley

Chamois
Comune di Chamois
Commune de Chamois
Coat of arms of Chamois
Location of Chamois
Chamois is located in Italy
Chamois
Chamois
Location of Chamois in Italy
Chamois is located in Aosta Valley
Chamois
Chamois
Chamois (Aosta Valley)
Coordinates: 45°50′N 7°37′E / 45.833°N 7.617°E / 45.833; 7.617
CountryItaly
RegionAosta Valley
FrazioniCaillaz, Corgnolaz, Crépin, La Ville, Lac de Lod, Liussel, Suisse[1]
Area
 • Total
14 km2 (5 sq mi)
Elevation
1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2022)[3]
 • Total
108
 • Density7.7/km2 (20/sq mi)
DemonymChamoisiens
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
11020
Dialing code0166
Patron saintSaint Pantaleon
Saint day26 July
WebsiteOfficial website

Chamois (French: [ʃamwa] ; Valdôtain: Tsamoué) is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of northwestern Italy.

Chamois is the only municipality in Italy not reachable by motorized vehicles.[4]

Visitors can access Chamois by cable car or via a walking path originating at La Magdeleine.

Chamois became a separate parish only in 1681, when it was separated from Antey-Saint-André. The village church, dedicated to Saint Pantaleon, was built in the same year.[5] The present form of the structure dates from a rebuilding in 1838.[6]

Parish church

The Saint Pantaleon parish church in Chamois.

The Saint Pantaleon parish church (Italian: Chiesa parrocchiale di San Pantaleone; French: Église paroissiale Saint-Pantaléon) is the local Roman Catholic church. The territory of Chamois belonged to the parish of Antey-Saint-André until the 17th century. The founding of a separate parish was initiated by the curate of Antey, Martin Jeanthon, a native of Chamois: at his request, the parish church was consecrated on July 21, 1681, by the Bishop of Aosta, Antoine-Philibert Bailly, replacing a rectory that had existed since 1621. The church was later expanded and transformed, taking on its current form in 1838.[7][8] In 1844, the present-day rectory was built next to the church. It served as the priest's residence but also functioned as a school and a first aid station.[7]

The church has a single-nave structure, with a quadrangular apse and a bell tower equipped with four bells.[7] The interior houses an 18th-century high altar originating from the parish of Torgnon, made of carved wood, painted and partly gilded. It features a painting of the Immaculate Conception set between two twisted half-columns that support two angels, as well as painted wooden statues of Saint Pantaleon, a Holy Pope, and a Holy Bishop.[8]

References

  1. ^ La Suisse d’Emilio
  2. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  4. ^ bbc.com: Video (9 min, February 2022))
  5. ^ Pietro Giglio, Oriana Pecchio, 2005: Enciclopedia della Valle d'Aosta, p. 183 (Google books- snippet view)
  6. ^ Website of the Municipality of Chamois: Saint Pantaleon parish church
  7. ^ a b c "Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Pantaleone (Sec. XVI)". Comune di Chamois (in Italian). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Saint Pantaleon parish church". Retrieved 30 May 2025.