Issogne Castle

Issogne Castle once belonged to the bishops of Aosta and later became the residence of the Challant family. Between 1490 and 1510 Giorgio di Challant converted it into a residence at the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, for his cousin Margaret de La Chambre and her son Filiberto. The horseshoe-shaped complex opens onto a courtyard and an Italian-style garden. In the courtyard stands the pomegranate fountain: a wrought-iron tree regarded as a symbol of good luck and as the emblem of the Challant.

The ground-floor portico bears fresco lunettes with scenes of everyday life, such as the guardroom, the baker, the apothecary, the market and the tailor's workshop. In the dining room and the Baron's Hall, wall paintings show hunting scenes. In 1872 the Turin painter Vittorio Avondo bought the castle and restored it.

Lonely Planet describes Issogne as more a stately home than a fortress, and Wikivoyage lists the arcaded courtyard, the chapel, the garden and the pomegranate fountain among the sights. You see the interiors on a guided tour; allow about an hour for it. On the other side of the Dora Baltea lies Verrès Castle.