Medieval castle in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The ruined 1300s Castello di Ussel in silhouette on a rocky hilltop at Châtillon, Valle d’Aosta, Italy. The castle was built by the powerful Challant family and is little changed, despite being abandoned in the early 1800s and also serving time as a prison. It was later owned by Marcel Bich (1914 - 1994), co-founder of Bic, leading ballpoint pen manufacturer. In 1983, Baron Bich donated Ussel to the regional authority, which restored it and opened it to visitors.
Châtillon, Valle d’Aosta, Italy: the ruined 14th century Castello di Ussel stands out in silhouette on its rocky hilltop as a blue haze blurs the wooded ridges and alpine foothills of the Aosta Valley. The castle was built in the mid-14th century by the powerful Challant family. It has changed little over the centuries, despite being abandoned for a while in the early 1800s and also serving time as a prison. It was later owned by Marcel Bich (1914-94), co-founder of Bic, the world’s leading manufacturer of ballpoint pens. In 1983, Baron Bich donated the fortress to the regional authority, which restored it and opened it to visitors.
Size: 3800px × 2533px
Location: Castello di Ussel, Châtillon, Valle d’Aosta, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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