The name derives from the Latin "acucula" (pointed top). It is a small town in the middle Valpelline area, surrounded by woods and meadows, surrounded by unspoiled nature and characterized by a pleasant climate. It is located at the foot of Mont Clapier, at over 1300 meters of altitude and at 20 kilometers from Aosta. The municipality, which stretches over 30 square kilometers from the stream Buthier to Punta Fiorio (which reaches 3300 meters above sea level), is composed of several districts and is crossed by river Buthier. The main centre is situated in a strategic position, from where it could control the roads between Valais and Col Collon and Crete Seche, and it is dominated by the Tornalla, an octagonal tower situated on a rocky ledge. The valley to the Northwest is bounded by the mountain chain of the Morion, which separates the territory of Oyace from the nearby Valley of Ollomont, the other side borders with the Valley of Saint Barthelemy and is covered by dense forests. Devoted mainly to agriculture, it opened to tourism, respecting the traditions and old values and offers to its visitors the opportunity to make pleasant excursions of varying degrees of difficulty.
In medieval times the area belonged to the jurisdiction of the Lords of Quart, that lost their last heir in 1377 and the fief which passed under the direct rule of the Savoy. In 1612 it was assigned to the noble of Piedmont "Perrone of San Martino".
Not to miss:
The Parish Church of San Michele, which was built in 1788 to replace an earlier chapel and then, enlarged in 1914. Inside it preserves frescoes of the artist Margotti of 1914 and a central altar in Baroque style, which was stripped of the angels that originally adorned it. From the square in front of the church, it is possible to enjoy a fabulous view.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, dating back to 1942, is located in Verdonaz, at more than 2300 meters above sea level.
The Tornalla, a XIII century octagonal tower, built according to tradition, on the ruins of a Saracen tower, built around 1000 A.D. and is situated on a rocky hill, in an elevated position, overlooking the Buthier. It features fortified walls nearly 2 metes thick and is almost 12 meters high with a portal located high above the base. The hypothesis of the Saracen origins is evidenced by its singular form, unique in Val d'Aosta. It belonged to the Lords of Oyace, that were punished for their behavior by Amedeo IV, Conte di Savoia, who ceded the jurisdiction of this Valpelline area to the lords of Quart in the XIII century.
The stone bridge of Betenda, built in 1688, on the steam Buthier that over the centuries has eroded the nearby rocks, creating a particularly deep gorge near to the Tornalla. The bridge replaced an old bridge which existed already in the XV century.
The Grenier of the XV century in Voisinal. These storage buildings, built with planks of larch thick 12 cm, almost always two stories high, were used to the preserve food and keep agricultural tools and clothing.
The remains of an old mill in Voisinal.