1.830 meters
Mandrou Mandroù
Les Fusines Li Fejeune – 1.700 m
Blanchard Biantchart – 1.724 m
Rovinal Rovénal – 1.709 m
Praz-Sec Pra-Sec – 1.700 m
Les Péyoz Li Péyo – 1.725 m
Les Droles Li Drole – 1.757 m
Bernosin Bernozìn – 1.750 m
Mandrou (Mandroù in patois) is the highest village on the right orographic side of the Evançon stream, overlooking a highly evocative panorama across the entire upper Val d’Ayas and in particular the peaks rising along the Mascognaz and Bettaforcaz valleys, as well as the northern head of the valley.
The ancient rascards, surrounded by woods and pastures, adapt themselves to the winding contour lines of the terrain. On the valley side stands the 18th-century Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, whose façade was painted by the well-known Aosta Valley painter Franz Curta, active in the second half of the 19th century. Devotional images depicting the Holy Family can also be seen, while walking through the village, on the walls of important civil houses, such as Casa Brése (painted in 1703) and Casa Obert (the latter bearing the signature of Franz Curta himself, 1876).
In the past, Mandrou was a well-populated village, so much so that in 1808 it felt the need to open a mixed school, drawing funds from the chapel. It also possessed an oven and a mill, demolished in 1968 with the construction of the carriage road.
Among the oldest buildings stands out a large multifunctional house from the second half of the 16th century, entirely built in masonry, with external wooden balconies, according to the architectural model most widespread in the 16th century: stable and cellar covered by stone barrel vaults on the ground floor, living quarters on the first floor, and hayloft and granary in the attic.
Dating instead from 1673 is the so-called “Martin Burgay rascard,” which stands out from the general roofline, taller and more finely finished than the others.
Map of Mandrou
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Constructed in 1723, as attested by the inscription on the wooden beam, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception stands as a precious example of rural religious architecture in the heart of Mandrou. This small building, located beside the village’s historic fountain, played a fundamental role in community life, funding the local small school until 1821. After a long period of abandonment, the chapel was restored in the nineteenth century thanks to the dedication of the parish priest François Victor Amé Dandrès, who led the parish of Ayas from 1817 to 1866. It was during this period that the current altar, the sundial painted on the right side, and the façade frescoes—works of the prominent Valdostan painter Franz Curta—were created. At the summit, within the roundel beneath the roof’s ridge, one admires the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while on either side are the figures of the Valdostan saint bishops San Grato and San Giocondo, symbols deeply rooted in the local spirituality. Of great artistic value is the wooden statue of the Madonna with Child, placed in the niche above the entrance, dating back to the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. This work not only enriches the chapel with an important sculptural testimony but also represents a tangible link to the devotional tradition of the valley.
