The town's name probably derives from the union of the names of the villages that make up the town: Heresy and Sommarese. It is a mountain village located on the left bank of the Dora Baltea on the hill that overlooks the towns of Saint Vincent and Montjovet, between 800 and 2000 meters above sea level. Emarèse enjoys a privileged location from where it is possible to admire the Cervino,the Mont Blanc, the Grandes Murailles, the central valley and the villages scattered in the valleys nearby. The municipality is composed of eight districts, which are lined along the road between Saint Vincent to Valle d'Ayas. Typical structures in wood and stone are still present in the various settlements of the Aosta Valley. Worth of mention is the Borna de Ghias, a deep hole in the rock where once the meat was preserved due to the presence of ice fossil, evidenced by the cold air that escapes from the opening. To discover the ancient local cultural and gastronomic traditions, there are numerous hiking trails to follow, surrounded by unspoilt nature.
The town has ancient origins, as revealed by the discovery in Fiusey of some burial sites belonging to a necropolis that dates back to 3000 B.C. Other exhibits let hypothesize the presence of densely populated settlements in the Bronze Age. The area was certainly inhabited by the Celts, who left important signs of their past through various local names and the presence of some pre-Roman tombs. The Romans built here the Via delle Gallie, which connects Eporedia to Augusta Praetoria: a powerful and daring piece of engineering, with various cuts in the rock and artificial constructions such as bridges.
Not to miss:
The Parish Church, entitled to Saint Pantaleon, was mentioned for the first time in a document dated 1433. It was entirely rebuilt in 1882 and the bell tower above. Inside it preserves two carved and gilded wooden altars, one that features the Madonna, dating from the late XI century, with two statues of angels, stolen recently, and one of St. Joseph, completed in the beginning of the XVIII century and was restored after 1786.
The Chapel of San Rocco in Eresaz, was originally built in the XVIII century. Enlarged in 1978, it was deprived of the original choir and the bell tower that was completely refurbished.
The Chapel of St. James the Great in the district of Sommarese.
The trail of the Ru of Emarèse built in 1443.
The Foyer de Charité in Salera, a house for spiritual retreats, that overlooks the valley, where Pope John Paul II sheltered in the Summer of 2001,.
The Borna de Ghiasa.
The peak of Coman, visible from the whole central valley and dominated by a granite cross. This peak is reachable by a simple panoramic path of great beauty in the woods. The track is also suitable for Winter hiking, skiing and mountaineering.
The Col de Joux, a hiking trail, often used by mountain bike fans.