In the heart of Sonveulla, in Cogne, stands a place suspended in time: the Maison Gérard-Dayné.
This rare example of rural Aosta Valley architecture, donated to the Municipality by Celestino Dayné in 2000, preserves the gestures, rituals, and daily labors of an Alpine community that lived for centuries in harmony with the mountains. Open to the public since 2011, the house is now an ethnographic museum that gathers objects, clothing, and memories donated by the villagers themselves.
As you walk through its rooms—passing through the côr, the covered entrance that once welcomed people, animals, and tools, and through the beu, where humans and animals coexisted to keep warm—you are immersed in an essential and ingenious way of life. The haylofts speak of summers full of hard work, the oven recalls the sharing of bread among village families, and every object on display tells a story of survival, creativity, and identity.
The Maison Gérard-Dayné is an invitation to slow down, to closely observe the harsh daily life of those who once inhabited these mountains. It is a house that, even today, welcomes visitors to help them understand and reflect on how our ancestors survived in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Opening hours 2024/2025:
From June to September, open every day from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
On Saturdays and Sundays, open from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Accessibility:
Maison Gérard-Dayné is not accessible to visitors with motor disabilities due to the building’s original architectural features. It is, however, accessible to visitors with sensory and cognitive disabilities.