CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30A-2(A) UNDER THE 1940 ACT
                   AND SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT


I, George R. Aylward, certify that:


1.  I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Phoenix Investment Trust 97;

2.  Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement of
    a  material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
    statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
    were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
    information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
    the financial condition,  results of operations,  changes in net assets, and
    cash flows (if the financial  statements are required to include a statement
    of cash flows) of the  registrant  as of, and for, the periods  presented in
    this report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I are  responsible  for
    establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
    in Rule  30a-3(c)  under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) and  internal
    control over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Rule  30a-3(d)  under the
    Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

    (a)  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
         disclosure   controls  and   procedures   to  be  designed   under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to
         us by others within those entities,  particularly  during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

    (b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
         internal  control over  financial  reporting  to be designed  under our
         supervision,  to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
         of financial reporting and the preparation of financial  statements for
         external  purposes in accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting
         principles;

    (c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures  and  presented  in this  report our  conclusions  about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of a date
         within 90 days prior to the filing  date of this  report  based on such
         evaluation; and


    (d)  Disclosed  in this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal
         quarter  of the  period  covered  by this  report  that has  materially
         affected,   or  is  reasonably   likely  to  materially   affect,   the
         registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed to the
    registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's  board of
    directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

    (a)  All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design or
         operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

    (b)  Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.


Date:    May 5, 2006                 /s/ George R. Aylward
     ---------------------           -------------------------------------------
                                     George R. Aylward, Executive Vice President
                                     (principal executive officer)


           CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30A-2(A) UNDER THE 1940 ACT
                   AND SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT


I, Nancy G. Curtiss, certify that:


1.  I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Phoenix Investment Trust 97;

2.  Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement of
    a  material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
    statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
    were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
    information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
    the financial condition,  results of operations,  changes in net assets, and
    cash flows (if the financial  statements are required to include a statement
    of cash flows) of the  registrant  as of, and for, the periods  presented in
    this report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I are  responsible  for
    establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
    in Rule  30a-3(c)  under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) and  internal
    control over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Rule  30a-3(d)  under the
    Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

    (a)  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
         disclosure   controls  and   procedures   to  be  designed   under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to
         us by others within those entities,  particularly  during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

    (b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
         internal  control over  financial  reporting  to be designed  under our
         supervision,  to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
         of financial reporting and the preparation of financial  statements for
         external  purposes in accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting
         principles;

    (c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures  and  presented  in this  report our  conclusions  about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of a date
         within 90 days prior to the filing  date of this  report  based on such
         evaluation; and


    (d)  Disclosed  in this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal
         quarter  of the  period  covered  by this  report  that has  materially
         affected,   or  is  reasonably   likely  to  materially   affect,   the
         registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed to the
    registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's  board of
    directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

    (a)  All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design or
         operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

    (b)  Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.



Date:    May 4, 2006                   /s/ Nancy G. Curtiss
     ------------------------          -----------------------------------------
                                       Nancy G. Curtiss, Chief Financial Officer
                                       and Treasurer
                                       (principal financial officer)