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, 2008                          /s/ George R. Aylward
     -------------------------------         -----------------------------------
                                             George R. Aylward, President
                                             (principal executive officer)



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



I, W. Patrick Bradley, 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, 2008                         /s/ W. Patrick Bradley
     -------------------------------        -----------------------------------
                                            W. Patrick  Bradley, Chief Financial
                                            Officer and Treasurer
                                            (principal financial officer)