The Castle of Fénis is a spectacular mixture of towers and crenellated walls that perfectly embody the image of the medieval castle.
The Aosta Valley region is famous for its castles, and the Castle of Fénis, set in the homonymous town, is certainly one of the most visited. As opposed to many castles in the region, for example the Fort of Bard, it is not located in an elevated position, useful for war purposes, but in a hilly area with no natural defences; for this reason massive fortifications were built, making it even more spectacular.
The Castle of Fénis was initially property of the Challant-Fénis family; therefore, it was an aristocratic residence, that with its huge defense system and its prestigious decorations stood for the power of the noble feudal family. The construction of the fortress goes back to the period between 1320 and 1421 and the credits for its magnificence go to Boniface I of Challant. Following the downfall of the family and the sale of the manor, it went through a period of decadence in which it was used for more rural purposes. In 1895 it became property of Alfredo d’Andrade who began the renovation process, and eventually the castle was donated to the state and declared a national monument. Today, back to its former glory, it is property of the Valle d’Aosta region and it can be visited with guided tours.
The floorplan of the castle of Fénis is pentagonal and, in line with the medieval style, every angle features a tower. The residential part of the castle is surrounded by double crenellated walls furnished with turrets and a walkwayused by the watch patrol. A small square tower equipped with bar shutters to close in case of danger, serves as a point of entry inside the fortress. Inside there are three floors and it offers a suggestive idea of what life was inside a medieval manor. The basement was used mainly as cellars and prisons. The ground floor was used for service rooms and as a base for the garrison; it is possible to visit the kitchen with the massive fireplace, the gatehouse, the weapon room and the soldiers’ dining room. The upper floor was reserved for court life: here you can find aristocratic rooms, the dining room, the justice room and the chapel with many frescoes. The second floor was reserved to the servants’ quarters and it had rooms for the guests.
One of the most fascinating areas of the Castle of Fénis is the inner courtyard. A big semi-circular stairway is dominated by a beautiful fresco of St George killing the dragon, a very popular theme at the time as it stood for the ideal of chivalry; the fresco is attributed to the workshop of painter Giacomo Jaquerio and it was realized around 1415. The walls of the courtyard are entirely painted with geometric motifs of the international gothic style. The two upper floors have two galleries, with wood railings, and on their walls a collection of wise men and prophets, holding parchments with proverbs and mottos in French, are depicted.
The castle of Fénis takes visitors to a past made of knights and battles, an experience not to miss to have a little taste of the middle ages.
Featured image: Si Viaggia
