Issogne Castle (Castello Challant) is one of the best preserved and most richly painted castles in the Valle d'Aosta. At the end of the thirteenth century, the family of the Challant rose to become the most powerful clan in the Valle d'Aosta, which they could well defend thanks to their fortified castles (Châtillon, Fénis). In 1399 Ibleto de Challant succeeded in buying Issogne as a permanent residence for himself and his offspring. It was Canon Giorgio de Challant Varey (1440-1509) who was responsible for the renovation of Issogne and especially for its wall painting.

The rebuilding of Issogne, begun in about 1480, transformed the irregular medieval castle into a comfortable, palace-like residence. The work of the various masons, cabinetmakers, and painters was overseen by and architect by the name of Michael de Ecclesia, about whom nothing further is known. The entry porch and the courtyard loggia were painted by a local workshop from which two names (Colin and Etienne) are scratched in the lunettes of the porch. The style of the paintings can be traced back to the school of Conrad Witz, which radiated outward from the Vallais into Savoy.

We cannot know whether the pictures at Issogne were created out of a simple delight in the subject matter or whether the particular scenes and motifs were selected to convey some sort of moral lesson that the modern viewer can no longer appreciate.

Preview	Picture Data	Info
	View of the ground floor hall 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	View of the ground floor hall 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	View of the ground floor hall 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	View of the ground floor hall 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	View into the portico and the courtyard loggia 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	View of the courtyard loggia 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Guardroom 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Bakery and butcher shop 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Fruit and vegetable stands 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Tailor's and fabric shop 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Fruit and vegetable stands (detail) 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Fruit and vegetable stands (detail) 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Apothecary's shop 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Dry-goods shop 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Apothecary's shop (detail) 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Tailor's and fabric shop (detail) 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Apothecary's shop (detail) 1489-1502 Fresco Castello Challant, Issogne (Valle d'Aosta)
	Madonna and Child with Donor after 1488 Fresco Priory of Sant'Orso, Aosta