Aosta Valley · Aosta Valley
Donnas
The first DOC of Valle d'Aosta, a Nebbiolo-on-terraces wine town where the Roman Via delle Gallie was carved into living rock.
Known for
DONNAS DOC
First DOC in Valle d'Aosta, granted in 1971: a Nebbiolo-led red from terraced slopes around Donnas, Perloz, Pont-Saint-Martin and Bard.
VIA DELLE GALLIE
A 221-metre stretch of first-century BC Roman road carved into the cliff, with cart ruts, a rock-cut arch and the XXXVI-mile milestone from Aosta.
POST-LANDSLIDE BORGO
Medieval village rebuilt against the cliff after the 1176 landslide destroyed Treby a kilometre west, the original settlement of the area.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: Pietro, 1 August
Why come
Donnas sits at the south-eastern mouth of the Aosta Valley, where the Dora Baltea slows and the cliffs close in on the old road. The Romans built the Via delle Gallie through here in the first century BC to connect the Po Valley with Gaul, and a 221-metre stretch of paved road, cut for more than 200 metres directly into the bedrock, still survives with cart-wheel ruts in the stone, a single Roman arch, and a milestone marking the thirty-sixth mile from Augusta Praetoria. The medieval village rebuilt itself against the cliff face after the 1176 landslide that destroyed the older settlement of Treby a kilometre west.
Wine has been documented here since 1200. In 1971, Donnas became the first Valdostan wine to earn DOC status: 85 to 90 per cent Nebbiolo, grown on terraced slopes along the Dora, vinified at the Caves Coopératives de Donnas above the historic centre.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Donnas’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Strada Romana delle Gallie
First-century BC Roman road carved directly into the bedrock for more than 200 metres, with surviving cart-wheel ruts, a single arch and a milestone.
Arco Romano e Miliario
Roman arch cut from the rock and a milestone indicating the XXXVI mile from Augusta Praetoria, anchoring the surviving stretch of the Via delle Gallie.
Borgo storico di Donnas
Medieval village rebuilt against the cliff face after the 1176 landslide that destroyed nearby Treby, with stone houses along the old consular road.
Caves Coopératives de Donnas
Cooperative winery above the historic centre, producing the Donnas DOC red wine, first Valdostan denomination, with 85-90 per cent Nebbiolo.
Vigneti terrazzati della Dora
Terraced vineyards stepping up from the Dora Baltea on both banks, the Alpine viticulture landscape that defines the lower valley.
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Living here
- Population 2,420
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Turin, 1 h 22 min drive
- Regional capital Aosta, 1 h 5 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 322 m
- Population: 2,420
- Surface area: 33.97 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
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Ivrea
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