Unlike the other castles, built for war and protection purposes, the excellent and prestigious Castello di Fénis is not located on the top of a peninsula but on a slight hillock without natural defenses... #tuttitaly
The Fénis Castle is one of the Aosta Valley's most beautiful and visited medieval castles. Unlike other castles, it is not located atop a hill or promontory but on a small hill without natural defenses. More than a fortress, it gives the idea of being a stately home. The castle was, in fact, the prestigious representative office of the foremost exponents of the Challant family.
History of the Fénis Castle
Probably built in the early 13th century by Viscount Gotofredo II, mentioned for the first time in 1242, the castle was enriched by towers and crenelated walls towards the middle of the 14th century by Aimone di Challant.
The Fénis Castle belonged to the lords of Challant until 1716 when it was sold to Count Baldassarre Castellar di Saluzzo Paesana. From that moment, the manor underwent a slow and progressive deterioration and was transformed into a rural home: the rooms on the ground floor were used as stables, while the first floor was used as a barn.
In 1895, Alfredo d'Andrade bought the fortress, and after having restored the most ruined parts, he donated it to the State. Today the building is owned by the Valle d'Aosta region.
The interior of the Fénis Castle
The castle is structured on a pentagonal plan with circular turrets at each corner, the master enclosed in a double wall, with turrets and connected by patrol walkways.
On the ground floor, you can visit the armory, the refectory for soldiers and servants, the pantry, and the kitchen with a large fireplace. On the first floor, you can see the chapel with the adjoining reception room, the Domini room, the noble kitchen, the dining room of the lords, and the hall of justice.
The itinerary ends in the internal courtyard, with the semicircular staircase dominated by the fresco depicting St. George killing the dragon. On the upper floor, you can admire the wooden balconies decorated by a group of sages and prophets bearing scrolls where you can read proverbs and moral sentences in archaic French. Finally, on the eastern wall, you can admire the paintings of San Cristoforo and the Annunciation from the fifteenth century, probably made by a follower of Jaquerio.
Legend
Fénis, too, like any impressive castle, has its ghost. It is said that a woman, married in a second marriage by the owner of the court to ensure her son the family inheritance, killed her stepson, hiding her body in the ravines of the castle. The child's ghost seems to be going around the rooms, moving objects and furnishings.
Mysterious is also the magic numbers that are repeated inside the manor. Seven are the steps of the semicircular staircase; eight instead are the points of the star contained in a circumference between the coat of arms of the Savoy and the shield of the Challants, a symbol that art historians call ribbons of eternity because it is possible to walk through the entire design and return to the starting point, in a path without interruptions.
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