The pomegranate fountain
In the lower Aosta Valley, on the right bank of the Dora Baltea, opposite the village of Verrès, the Castello di Issogne looks from the outside like a sober and austere building, but it hides inside one of the most beautiful Renaissance residences of the Alps. It was transformed at the end of the fifteenth century by Giorgio di Challant, the cultured prior of Sant'Orso in Aosta, and by his cousin Filiberto, from a medieval fortress into an elegant noble residence, organised around a large courtyard and a formal Italian garden, with a style that reflects the refined taste of the period and the wealth of the Challant family.
The symbol of the castle is the Fontana del Melograno, the pomegranate fountain, in the centre of the courtyard: an octagonal stone basin from which rises a pomegranate tree in wrought iron, with branches, leaves and fruit, from which the water flows, a symbol of the unity and fertility of the family, one of the most original works of art in the valley. Under the portico of the courtyard, the lunettes are decorated with a famous cycle of frescoes of the late fifteenth century depicting scenes of everyday life, a precious document of the time: a market with fruit and vegetable sellers, a bakery, a pharmacy, a butcher's shop, a tailor's shop and a guardroom with soldiers playing cards, painted with great vivacity and precision. Inside, the rooms are decorated with frescoes, coffered ceilings and period furniture, including the bedroom of Giorgio di Challant and the chapel.
Tip: look carefully at the details of the frescoes under the portico; combine Issogne with the castle of Verrès opposite.
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