Issogne Castle is a castle in Issogne in the Aosta region of northwestern Italy.
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The earliest recorded mention of Issogne castle dates back to the year 1151, when a Papal bull issued by Pope Eugene III documented the presence of the bishop of Aosta's dominion in Issogne.
In 1255, Issogne Castle was still under ecclesiastical control. In this year, the bishop of Aosta, Pierre di Pra, attempted to regulate community relations and the cohabitation of those living within the region. This was not sufficient to guarantee peace in Aosta, however, and somewhere between 1280 and 1350, conflict arose which pitted the bishop against the overlord of Verrès. The conflict eventually boiled over in 1379.
Around the 14th century, Ibleto of Verrès began the reconstruction of the stronghold. He replaced the damaged structure, which was more an elegant Gothic dwelling than a true castle.
Ibleto died in 1409. Fifteen years later, his son, François di Challant, of the branch of Villas-Challand and Montjovet, and lord of Issogne, obtained the title of first count of Issogne from the Duke of Savoy. His death in 1442 left only three daughters, and with no male inheritors, a struggle for the throne began. The struggle concluded in 1456, with Jacques of Aymaville coming to power; he became known as the second count of Issogne.
Towards 1480, under the dominion of Jacques' son, Louis di Challant, the work of systemizing the castle began. Still visible in one of the its wine cellars is graffiti attesting to the work being done on the castle (1489 Jan Devalupe/to fait hollow de ce/chateaus pour/the 20 florin).
In 1487, Louis di Challant died, leaving two young sons, Philibert and Charles. The jobs in the castle proceeded with great fervor, especially in the year 1494. In 1509, the jobs were finished and Philibert ruled the castle with the moglie Louise d' Aarberg and his son René. He is just under the dominion of René di Challant, and in 1528, he married Manzia di Braganza. Then the castle he assumes the aspect of one short rich and refined definitively, with all the furnishings, the described suppellettili and the stoffe precious in the inventory written up in 1565 after the dead women of René. In 1565 the Madruzzo of the family of the prìncipi and the bishops of Trento subentrano to René di Challant because of the wedding between Giovanni Federico di Madruzzo and Isabella di Challant, René's daughter. This made Isabelle's cousins angry, as they were opposed to the inusitata succession for feminine line and gives place to a litigation that will have single term in 1696. At the same time the Madruzzo descendencies are get exhausted in the 1658 with the dead women of Carl Emanuele bishop of Trento and the inheritance, contessa from more parts, is up finally to Henry de Lenoncourt; and also the dynasty of Lenoncourt finishes short, in 1693, with the dead women of Charles-Joseph-Louis, and the possessions legacies to the title it of Count of Issogne pass to the sister Cristina Maurizia of the Carretto di Balestrina. In 1696, the succession, which had lasted 131 years, ended. The descendants of the Madruzzo and the cousins of Isabella di Challant: the litigation is gained from these last ones, for which of the Carretto di Balestrina they must give back the inheritance of count René to the barons of Challant-Châtillon.
In 1796, François Maurice, the last count of Challant, died, and since figlioletto the Jules-Hyacinthe morirà in 1802 in tender age, the succession in the first place get exhausted and begins a period of forfeiture, marked from a National Guard who in 1800 embezzles furnishings and suppellettili.
In 1841, with the death of Gabriella di Canalis di Cumiana, widow of François Maurice di Challant, the castle passed to Conte the Amédée-Louis Passerin d' Entrèves. In 1862, the castle of Issogne, by now lacking in the signorili rights, it comes acquired, with to that one of Verrès, from Alexandre Gaspard di Châtillon, than averse a part of the original furnishings and yields the castle, in 1869, to the baron Marius de Vautheleret, engaged French engineer in the study of the railway connection between Aosta and Ivrea; but these fail. In 1872, the castle is auctioned and from Turinese painter Vittorio Avondo, than it is engaged in the architectonic restoration of the castle and in the riallestimento of the inner ones with original furnishings or copies purposely commissioned.
In the 1907 Avondo, reserving itself some the usufrutto, it donates the castle of Issogne to the Italian state, than of it becomes owner to all the effects to the dead women of Avondo, 9 December 1910.
In 1935 the minister of the National Instruction Old Cesar De Maria promotes of the participations of restoration that involve heavy ridipinture of fresco of the oratories and the nail head. In 1948, to continuation of the approval of the special charter of the Region they of Aosta Goes, the castle of Issogne becomes property regional. In biennium 1996-1998 the inner ones of the castle come second riallestiti the intentional order from Vittorio Avondo, reconstructed based on photo of age and to the inventories written up in 1907 and 1911; they come also puts into effect participations of restoration and maintenance to you of furnishings and suppellettili, and some architectonic elements, and entirety they come studies technical systems to you answering to the enforced norms of emergency, let alone a lighting system system face to the valorization of atmospheres. At the same time it comes given the way to the complex geometric relief of the tree of Fontana: currently in the court original Fontana is still present, than but copy will have to be replaced from one in order to concur of the restoration. It is not still clear if, once finished the participation of restoration, the tree originates will be conserved them in museum to Aosta or if it is brought back to Issogne.