Fénis Castle

Introduction

The castle of Fénis, equipped with a large warlike apparatus, represents the typical medieval castle; its plan, in the shape of an irregular pentagon, is protected by a double wall and surmounted by circular turrets and quadrangular towers.
The castle, starting in the 14th century, the year in which it assumed its present form, began to fulfil the function of a sumptuous residence for the Challant family. The environment was made more and more harmonious and more in keeping with court life, and reached its peak with the creation of valuable frescoes, presumably painted between 1425 and 1430. In the courtyard, for example, one can admire a splendid setting in which the semicircular wooden staircase stands out. The latter, at the fresco of St. George slaying the dragon, divides into two flights leading to the first floor balcony. Here, numerous essays are depicted, showing parchments on which 15th-century proverbs, written in old French, are displayed.
 Inside the castle, a museum of Valdostan furniture has been set up, adorning several rooms with antique furniture. Some of them really belong to the castle, but most come from elsewhere and date from between the 14th and 19th centuries.

Description

The Early Castle

The initial core of the castle presumably consisted of a quadrangular tower (now located next to the main entrance) and the surrounding walls. Looking at the present walls, it is possible to discern the later rebuilding of the walls.
Unfortunately, no evidence is available as to the date of construction and consistency of the first castle; the only certain fact is that it already existed in 1242.
According to some, the semicircular tower located on the other side of the main entrance also belongs to the initial construction. This fortified nucleus presents the typical scheme of primitive castles: a keep situated at the highest point of the ground, protected by the walls and having the entrance gate at a height of several metres.

The transformation interventions

The building that can be admired today is practically the one built by Aymone di Challant around the middle of the 14th century.
 Subsequent interventions did not substantially change the original structure of the castle. The first was carried out by D'Andrade at the end of the 19th century, while the second restoration (more of an integrative nature) was carried out by architect Mesturino in the 1930s and 1940s. On that occasion, the first set of walls was almost entirely rebuilt and the main entrance, which used to be located to the west, was moved.

 The castle in its current form

Fénis Castle represents a splendid blend of the military architecture of the first castles and the more residential architecture of later periods. The person who was responsible for building the castle on behalf of Aymone had the sensitivity to maintain and respect the pre-existing nucleus, without distorting it.
 The castle's enormous military apparatus is partly justified by the site on which it was erected. Being located on a hillock, it cannot rely on natural protection. In fact, since the castle was probably built to become the administrative seat of the rich surrounding fiefdom, such a marked development of the military apparatus is explained by the need to intimidate the population and deter possible enemies.

The frescoes

The small courtyard of the Fénis castle is enriched by a lively frescoed decoration that unfolds on all the walls, showing the most typical figures of the decorations of the Gothic courtly style.
 The Gothic courtly (or international) style developed in the great courts (Paris, Dijon, Milan) in the second half of the 14th century and spread by confronting and blending with local realities. Especially in the Alpine areas, courtly Gothic found fertile ground on which to develop, favoured by the persistence of feudal structures, busy trying to renew their ancient splendour. The common interest of patrons was in profane subjects and particularly the chivalrous theme.
 The frescoes in Fénis are attributed to Giacomo Jaquerio and his atelier, but at present it is difficult to establish with certainty whether the master from Turin actually worked in Fénis or whether only his collaborators worked on them.
 Giacomo Jaquerio worked for Duke Amadeus VIII in the period between about 1400 and 1450, operating between Piedmont and the Savoy territories beyond the Alps. A native of Turin, he carried out his work moving between the Savoy courts in Turin, Geneva, Piedmont and Thonon, and his constant travels enabled him to meet people and make acquaintances that enriched his painting with French and Burgundian influences, as well as the Venetian environment.
 In Fénis, Jaquerio or his collaborators were busy decorating the courtyard and chapel; uncertainty about the attribution is combined with uncertainty about the dating, but the frescoes must have been ready on the occasion of Amedeo di Challant's wedding anyway-Aymavilles with his second wife, Louise of Miolans, in 1413.
At the circular staircase, on the walls of the courtyard, there is a fresco of St George slaying the Dragon. According to the legend of St. George, the dragon terrorised the inhabitants of the city of Nicomedia, in present-day Turkey, demanding daily the sacrifice of two young men who were drawn by lot from among the inhabitants; but one day the king's daughter was drawn, and so, to save the maiden, George decided to intervene by killing the monster and freeing the city and the princess from a sad fate. The beautiful fable, with its meaning of the struggle and victory of good against evil, is one of the best-loved themes of courtly Gothic, and St. George himself, dressed in armour and a short cloak, perfectly embodies the ideal of the valiant knight.
The lower level of the court is decorated with red and white lozenges, and at the exit, opposite St. George, we find a representation of St. Christopher, considered the protector of travellers and therefore placed as a sign of good luck near the castle exit.
On the wooden gallery are depicted a series of sages and philosophers of antiquity, each carrying a parchment containing proverbs and admonitions, written in Old French.
In the castle chapel, the frescoes continue, but the purely chivalric theme is abandoned to make room for religious scenes. On the back wall of the chapel is a depiction of the Virgin of Mercy, in which we still find a dimensional differentiation between the divine figure of the Madonna and the bystanders, among whom, in addition to saints, are members of the commissioning family. The other walls of the chapel are decorated with a Crucifixion and with figures of Saints and Apostles.

The Owners over the Centuries

Most of the information that has survived to the present day concerns the succession of the various owners. The castle has always belonged to the Challants, who passed it down to their male descendants until 1716. In that year, the last descendant was forced to sell it to pay off the numerous debts incurred due to an interminable court case (lasting 130 years!) over the claim to the contado.
 After a few sales, the castle ended up in the hands of farming families who used it as a farm. The rooms on the ground floor are used as stables and the courtyard is invaded by pigs and chickens! Even the chapel with its precious paintings is not spared and is used as a barn.
 In 1895 the famous architect Alfredo D'Andrade buys the castle, restores it and then donates it to the state.