castello di fenis

Fenis is a really perfect little medieval castle - typical for this region of Italy.The Frescos are magnificent - especially the St George and the Dragon.You can only visit this castle by a guided tour - In Italian - But the Castle has good leaflets in other languages to help Non-Italian visitors understand the place.When there is snow on the ground this castle looks truly magnificent - and is a photographers delight.

we were visiting Italy with a group of 50. we wanted to visit Fenis castle. They said no need of reservation for groups, just a phone call a day before. we called them, they hardly speak foreign languages, except italian and a very basic french. finaly we understood that we will be split into 2 groups of 25 each and the admission charge for groups is 3,5o euros/person. visits start at 9:00.When we arrived next day, it was a heavy rain. we parked the bus, climbed to the castle and entered. the first reaction of the man at the office window was to shout to us "get out".... when we asked why, he said we are not allowed to stay and wait inside, only outside. insude there was a covered part we wanted to wait there. he continued to shout to us that we hace to go outside. he said that half of the group will go in in 10 minutes, the other 25 will wait half an hour outside in the rain. when we asked if we can wait under the cover he said no !!! so some of us left. in the meentime he allowed 3 persons to buy their ticket and wait so we were alowed only to be 23 so he did not want to charge group ticket because we were not 25 anymore !!! finaly he agreed the group charge. all this discussions were held with difficulty as they did not speak english or german as our guide asked previously. the guide spoke only italian, we tried to understand and our guid tried to translate. Inside was nothing spectacular (from outside it is nice), a lot of empty rooms, some old furniture, some wepons. no photos are alowed.so i do not suggest the visit of this attraction. they are very unpolite, not professionals at all !!!!

The castle itself is a good attraction to visit. But beware - if you do not understand Italian then it is useless going - you will not be permitted to tour the castle alone and the tours done by a very knowledgeable guide are only in Italian and we were never informed at the cash! So if you do not understand Italian, you will not get information! Most of the notices are also not very detailed - this was quite disappointing! No photos permitted inside.

We loved the castle not expecting to see it in such good condition especially the frescoes and furniture (thanks in part to restoration over the years). However we were a bit frustrated at the requirement to join a group tour especially when the guide only speaks Italian and didn't ask if everyone understood Italian. Only some signs in some rooms also display descriptions in other languages. Perhaps audio guides in other languages could be provided and we wouldn't have minded following a group so much. Also, no photos are allowed. Considering the number of monuments, historical places etc we have visited over the last month, this one seems less tourist-friendly. But it is stunning and worth a visit.

When in Europe, no matter what country, a visit to a castle is mandatory. I've been to castles in France and this one doesn't compare to some of the biggest ones there. However, if in the area to go skiing, this is a great place to stop. They have a tour in Italian but there are panels in each room in several languages. It is a very well maintained castle inside and out. You can go inside and see some furnished rooms and get a sense of what it was like in the 1100s. Then you can walk around the castle and get some great photos. Not much to the town so don't expect to spend much time there.

The Fenis Castle is one of the most beautiful Castle that you can visit: due to the style and the architecture it's really peculiar; the staff is organized for visiting the Castle, not only outside but also inside. The maintenance is of high quality, reason why you can appreciate medioeval frescoes.

Unfortunately didn't have a full tour around the Castle but this still didn't deter us from finding great photo opportunities.

This rather compact, fortress like castle from the late middle ages is a thing of beauty. Very cleverly constructed, with two walls to defend it, it has those peculiar v-shaped crenels and many different shaped towers. Inside (no photo's allowed) you get a guided tour in Italian :-( for about an hour. It takes you through the castle where the non-italian-speaking people can get info from their leaflets. The interior is a bit empty, just a few pieces of furniture, but the part where you become speachless is when you see the courtyard of the castle. A magnificent staircase with truly beautiful painted galeries. Breathtaking! It's too bad that they don't sell any cards, or a book with pictures of this on/in it. Not even in the small store at the foot of the castle.

This castle sits in a nice town not far from Aosta. The castle was the home of one of the ruling families in the Aosta Valley for many years.Very nice tour and worth the time to take it. Off season tours are done in Italian, but become nearly private. I had a solo tour and guide spoke English and we learned a great deal from each other regarding the history of the region and times this castle was a home to a ruling class. Worth the drive and time, best castle I visited in Val d'Aosta.

Definitely worth a stop on your drive up or down Aosta Valley. One of our favorite experiences. The tour is in Italian with help in English on the cards but trying to figure out what he was saying was part of the fun! Stretch your brain! Beautiful, romantic, fairy-tale like castle.

I visited on a beautiful sunny day. Great place for a picnic on the bench on the grounds. Tour was available in Italian only, but there is a hand out in English and there are explanatory panels in each room in Italian, French, and English. You cannot enter the interior without a guide but the entry fee was low. Nice frescoes inside particularly in the courtyard and chapel. The exterior of the castle is very impressive. Good photo opportunities.

There are lots of castles and towers in Valle d'Aosta but this is a first rate medieval castle. The tours are in Italian but sometimes the guides speak French or a little English. Well worth the tour to get a feel for what life might have been like centuries ago for the feudal lords and their families. The place has been well restored since it was last inhabited. Apparently local farmers used the place for their cattle and fodder up until a few decades ago. There are original paintings both in the chapel and the main foyer. I always bring visitors to Fenis when they come to visit Aosta for the first time.

Fenis castle near the Valle D'Aosta is a small dark and brooding castle on the outside which is well preserved however it's interior is what makes it truly special. Entering the interior of the castle is an amazingly impressive wooden staircase and entry with carved wood and beautiful frescoes adorning the entire walls. Unfortunately no photos allowed inside! all of the rooms are decked out with furniture from the period to fully recreate what life would have been like in medieval times. the fireplace in the main kitchen was so large- it was designed to cook and smoke a whole cow. The architect of this castle cleverly slanted the stone window sills so used water could easily be disposed of outside without having to open the windows and risk being vulnerable. The castle also had it's own chapel which was also adorned with beautiful frescoes which included portraits of the family who lived in the castle.I would highly recommend this castle because it is so well preserved and fully furnished and it's wooden entry with frescoes is such a surprise.

Unico nel suo stile... assolutamente bello già da fuori e caratteristico all'interno ... fa ben immaginare la vita e le problematiche del tempo. ...anche se visitato più volte fa sempre notare qualcosa in più di sé. .Tappa obbligata

Visita guidata al castello ad un prezzo assolutamente ragionevole (5,00 euro il biglietto intero). Guida preparata e amante del posto di cui raccontava. Il castello, come è stato più volte ribadito durante la visita, non è però oggi come originariamente era, a causa di passaggi proprietari, anni di abbandono, ritocchi e rifacimenti (anche nell'arredo) in epoca fascista che si allontanano parecchio dalla struttura inizialmente costruita. Certamente interessanti gli affreschi presenti sulle pareti del cortile interno (con pavimentazione inclinata per convogliare le acque piovane nel serbatoio) e lungo i ballatoi. Sicuramente importanti dal punto di vista pittorico (ma non se ne conosce l'autore) anche quelli presenti nella cappella interna al castello.