Fenis castle belonged to the lords of Challant until 1716, when Georges François of Challant had to sell it to Count Baldassarre Castellar of Saluzzo Paesana in order to pay his debts

Fenis Castle (Italian: Castello di Fenis) is an Italian medieval fortress located in the city of Fénis, not far from Aosta. It is among the most famous castles in Aosta Valley, as well as for its spectacular architecture and its many towers and battlemented walls has become one of several mayor tourist attractions of the region.

Fenis castle first appears in a document in 1242 A.D. as a residence belonging to the Viscounts of Aosta, the Challant family. In those days it probably was a simple keep surrounded by walls. It was from 1320 A.D. to 1420 A.D., under the lordship of Aimone of Challant and of his son Bonifacio of Challant, where the castle was expanded towards the current appearance.

Under Aimone’s lordship the Fenis got its pentagonal layout, the external boundary wall and many of the towers. In 1392 Bonifacio of Challant begun an additional building campaign to build the staircase and the balconies in the inner courtyard and the jail. He also commissioned Piedmontese painter Giacomo Jaqueiro to paint frescos on the chapel as well as on the inner courtyard. Under Bonifacio I the fortress reached its best splendor: it was a rich court encompassed by a vegetable plot, a vineyard in addition to a garden where the lord and his guests could unwind.

The Fenis castle belonged with the lords of Challant right up until 1716, when Georges François of Challant had to sell it to Count Baldassarre Castellar of Saluzzo Paesana to be able to pay off his obligations, and for the castle was the beginning connected with period of decline. It had been converted into a rural dwelling and became a stable ýncluding a barn.

In 1895 architect Alfredo d’Andrade acquired it and started a restoration campaign to secure the ruined structures. In 1935 a second campaign by De Vecchi and Mesturino completed the restoration and gave the castle the present appearance. The rooms were also provided with wood period fixtures.

Today the castle is owned by the Regional Council, which turned it into a museum.

The castle is located in the town of Fénis in Aosta Valley region, at about 13 km from the city of Aosta. The keep has a pentagonal layout, with towers at the corners. It's surrounded by a double boundary wall with battlements and by a series of watchtowers linked by way of a walkway.

Despite this impressive defensive structure, the castle was located at the top of a small knoll and not of a promontory or another inaccessible and easily defensible place. In reality it was not designed for military needs, but to serve as a prestigious dwelling for the Challant family.

The inner courtyard, in the centre of the keep, shows a semi-circular stone staircase and wood balconies. At the top of the staicase a XVth century fresco features Saint George killing the dragon, while the walls belonging to the balconies are embellished with pictures of sages and prophets and proverbs in ancient French. The frescos are generally attribuited to a painter belonging to the school of Giocomo Jaqueiro.

The inside belonging to the castle is divided into three floors: on the ground floor it is possible to visit the weaponry, the kitchen, the woodshed and the storage tank to gather rainwater. On the first floor there were the rooms of the lords of the fortress, the chapel with frescos by Giacomo Jaqueiro and his school as well as court. The second floor, inside the attic, was devoted to the servant's quarter and it is not visitable.