To the roots. Plant history tells the story of the past. Visit and workshop at the Maison des Anciens Remèdes

The experience

Opened in 2011, the Maison des Anciens Remèdes aims to be a center for the interpretation of medicinal plants and their traditional and modern uses in Aosta Valley. For those who decide to take part in the journey of roots, this stage represents an immersion in the conceptual world of the ancestors who applied this knowledge on a daily basis. Who would have thought that in the region with the highest mountains there would be knowledge of a remedy for seasickness?

The Maison’s primary goal is to preserve the memory of therapeutic practices and knowledge specific to the popular culture of the Aosta Valley. This preservation intent, however, did not result in the usual dusty gallery of old objects: the Maison has bet on a sensory experience, offering interesting and fun visits for people of all ages.

During the visit, we listen, observe, and flip through real and virtual pages; we plunge our hands into drawers full of dried leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds, which we can thus touch, crumble, smell, and taste. Scents of herbs, flowers, and essential oils accompany us in sensory riddles: we learn to recognize edible, medicinal, and toxic plants.

The guided tour is interactive and multisensory, suitable for all ages, designed to allow people to touch and smell plants or essential oils through riddles or games. A space is then dedicated to a unique 2-hour workshop, where the roots traveler has the opportunity to prepare firsthand a traditional remedy with local plants, e.g., herbal tea, herbal soap, flavored salt, or Saint John’s bunch.