Château de Cruseilles
Interactive map of Château de Cruseilles | |
| Location | Country: France Former provinces of the Duchy of Savoy: Geneva Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Department: Haute-Savoie Municipality: Cruseilles |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°02′12″N 6°06′17″E / 46.03667°N 6.10472°E[Note 1] |
| Type | Castle |
| Beginning date | 12th century |
The Château de Cruseilles is a former castle, probably dating from the 13th century and now in ruins, located in the commune of Cruseilles in the department of Haute-Savoie, in the Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes region.
Location
The Château de Cruseilles belonged to the County of Geneva and was situated along the road linking Geneva to Annecy.[1] Located after the Mont Sion pass when coming from Geneva, it preceded the crossings of the Usses and the Caille.[1] A secondary route along the southern slope of the Salève, passing through Le Sappey and Vovray-en-Bornes, connected the area to the Arve Valley and the Château de Mornex.[2] The settlement defended by the castle had three gates: one on the Geneva side, one on the Annecy side to the southeast, and a southern gate known as the Corbet gate; a postern may also have existed on the road to Ronzier.[3]
The present-day Rue du Corbet provided access to the castle.[3]
The site is associated with the fortified house of Pontverre,[4][5] described as the “little castle” of the nobles of Cruseilles.[5] This structure, now disappeared, was located below the Château de Cruseilles on the right bank of the Usses.[6]
History
According to Marc Le Roux (1854–1933), curator of the Musée d’Annecy, the structure was likely built in the 13th century.[4]
In his will, Count Amadeus II of Geneva granted his wife, Agnes of Châlons, the usufruct of the castles and châtellenies of Annecy, Clermont, Chaumont, La Bâtie, and La Balme de Sillingy, along with a dowry of 5,000 livres tournois secured by the estates of Cruseilles and Hauteville.[7][8]
From 1402 onward, Cruseilles, like the County of Geneva, became part of the domain of the House of Savoy.[9]
In 1563, although already in decline, the site was used as a prison.[10] In 1590, Spanish troops briefly took refuge there during the town's sack.[10]
By the time the cadastre of the Duchy of Savoy was compiled, only a square tower of the castle remained.[10]
Description
In 1865, only a single tower of the former castle remained.[10][11] Baron Achille Raverat (1812–1890) noted that it was inhabited at the time and contained a vaulted room.[10][11] He also reported the presence of surrounding architectural remains, including remnants of buildings, sections of ramparts, and the entrance gate. The pointed arch of the gate bore a carved cross and the arms of Savoy.[10][11]
The castle had a chapel (capella castri) dedicated to Saint Agatha, attested between 1371 and 1373.[3] Three chaplaincies were recorded at the beginning of the 15th century during a pastoral visit.[12]
Châtellenie of Cruseilles
The Château de Cruseilles was the seat of a châtellenie, also called a mandement (mandamentum).[13][14] It functioned as a comital châtellenie, directly dependent on the Count of Geneva.[15] In the 12th century, authority in Cruseilles was shared between the count and a vidomne (or viscount, vice dominus),[16][17] with individuals recorded around 1160 (Guillaume), 1179 (Humbert), and 1282 (Johannet). During the 13th century, the hereditary office of vidomne was replaced by a châtelain appointed directly by the count.[17]
In the 17th century, the arms of the mandement of Cruseilles were blazoned as a silver scallop on a red field.[18]
The châtelain was an officer appointed for a fixed term, revocable and removable,[19][20] responsible for administering the châtellenie, collecting fiscal revenues, and maintaining the castle.[21] The châtelain was occasionally assisted by a receiver of accounts, who prepared the annual report submitted by the châtelain or his deputy.[22]
| Genevan Administration
The châtellenie regularly served as an apanage for members of the House of Geneva.[9] Thus, Guy, the seventh son of Count William II of Geneva, future Bishop of Langres (1266–1291), inherited the mandement.[Note 2][7] It also formed part of the dower of Countess Agnes of Châlons.[7][8][9] Finally, it was a possession of the last count, the antipope Robert of Geneva (1342–1394).[9]
Savoyard Administration In 1402, it entered the Savoyard domain.[9]
Administration of the apanage of Genevois (1502–1659)[24]
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See also
Notes
- ^ Coordinates found on Géoportail.
- ^ The authors of Histoire des communes savoyardes confuse him with Guy, who died in 1294, son of Raoul of Geneva.
- ^ The surname de Viriaco found in the charters is sometimes rendered as de Viry or de Virieu(x), which has caused some confusion.
- ^ Master is a title associated with “procurators, notaries, practitioners, and commissioners.”[25]
References
- ^ a b Chapier 1961, p. 219
- ^ Duparc, Pierre (1978). Le comté de Genève, IXe – XVe siècle [The County of Geneva, 9th–15th centuries]. Mémoires et Documents (in French). Geneva: Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 525. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Chapier 1961, p. 86
- ^ a b Baud, Mariotte & Challamel 1981, p. 259
- ^ a b Chapier 1961, p. 84
- ^ Savoy Society of History and Archaeology (2005). « Dictionnaire du Duché de Savoie », Tome II, 1840 [“Dictionary of the Duchy of Savoy,” Volume II, 1840]. L'Histoire en Savoie (in French). La Fontaine de Siloé. p. 34. ISSN 0046-7510. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Lullin, Paul; Le Fort, Charles (1866). Régeste genevois : Répertoire chronologique et analytique des documents imprimés relatifs à l'histoire de la ville et du diocèse de Genève avant l'année 1312 [Régeste genevois: Chronological and analytical directory of printed documents relating to the history of the city and diocese of Geneva prior to 1312] (in French). Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 424.
- ^ a b Duparc 1978, p. 248
- ^ a b c d e Baud, Mariotte & Challamel 1981, p. 252
- ^ a b c d e f Baud, Mariotte & Challamel 1981, p. 258
- ^ a b c Raverat, Achille (1872). Haute-Savoie. Promenades historiques, pittoresques et artistiques en Genevois, Sémine, Faucigny et Chablais [Haute-Savoie. Historical, picturesque, and artistic walks in Genevois, Sémine, Faucigny, and Chablais] (in French). p. 298. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Binz, Louis (1973). Vie religieuse et réforme ecclésiastique dans le diocèse de Genève pendant le grand schisme et la crise conciliaire (1378-1450) [Religious life and ecclesiastical reform in the diocese of Geneva during the Great Schism and the conciliar crisis (1378–1450)] (in French). Vol. 1: Mémoires et Documents. Société d'Histoire et d'Archéologie de Genève. p. 417. ISBN 978-2-600-05020-3. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Payraud, Nicolas (2009). "Châteaux, espace et société en Dauphiné et en Savoie du milieu du XIIIe siècle à la fin du XVe siècle" [Castles, space, and society in Dauphiné and Savoie from the mid-13th century to the end of the 15th century] (PDF). HAL - Archives ouvertes (in French). Retrieved December 1, 2025.
- ^ Duparc 1978, pp. 413 et seq.
- ^ Duparc 1978, p. 416
- ^ Duparc 1978, p. 411
- ^ a b Baud, Mariotte & Challamel 1981, p. 251
- ^ Gonthier, J.-F (1895). "Funérailles de Charles-Amédée de Savoie, duc de Nemours (1659)" [Funeral of Charles-Amédée of Savoy, Duke of Nemours (1659)]. Revue savoisienne (in French). XI (II): 249. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Sorrel, Christian (2006). Histoire de la Savoie : images, récits [History of Savoy: images, stories] (in French). La Fontaine de Siloé. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-2-84206-347-4. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ Carrier, Nicolas (2001). "Une justice pour rétablir la « concorde » : la justice de composition dans la Savoie de la fin du Moyen Âge (fin XIIIe -début XVIe siècle)" [Justice to restore “harmony”: composition justice in Savoy at the end of the Middle Ages (late 13th to early 16th century)]. Le règlement des conflits au Moyen Âge. Actes du XXXIe Congrès de la SHMESP (Angers, 2000) [Conflict resolution in the Middle Ages. Proceedings of the 31st SHMESP Congress (Angers, 2000)] (in French). Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne. pp. 237–257. ISBN 978-2-85944-438-9.
- ^ Barbero, Alessandro (2006). "Les châtelains des comtes, puis ducs de Savoie en vallée d'Aoste (XIIIe – XVIe siècle)" [The lords of the counts, then dukes of Savoy in the Aosta Valley (13th–16th centuries)]. « De part et d'autre des Alpes » : les châtelains des princes à la fin du moyen âge : actes de la table ronde de Chambéry, 11 et 12 octobre 2001 [“On both sides of the Alps”: the princes' castellanies at the end of the Middle Ages: proceedings of the round table in Chambéry, October 11 and 12, 2001] (in French).
- ^ Carrier, Nicolas. "A travers les archives médiévales de la principauté savoyarde - Les comptes de châtellenies" [Through the medieval archives of the Savoy principality - The accounts of the castellanies]. Archives départementales de la Savoie (in French). Archived from the original on March 3, 2015.
- ^ "Inventaire-Index des comptes de châtellenies et de subsides (conservés aux Archives départementales de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie) Série SA" [Inventory-Index of accounts of castellanies and subsidies (held at the Departmental Archives of Savoie and Haute-Savoie) Series SA] (PDF) (in French). pp. 276–288. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ^ Perrillat, Laurent (2006). L'apanage de Genevois aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles : pouvoirs, institutions, société [The prerogative of Genevois in the 16th and 17th centuries: powers, institutions, society] (in French). Vol. 113. Académie salésienne. p. 939.
- ^ Nicolas, Jean (2003). La Savoie au XVIIIe siècle, Noblesse et Bourgeoisie [Savoy in the 18th century, Nobility and Bourgeoisie]. Le Champ régional (in French). Les Marches: La Fontaine de Siloé. p. 66. ISBN 978-2-84206-222-4. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
Bibliography
- Baud, Henri; Mariotte, Jean-Yves; Challamel, Jean-Bernard (1981). Histoire des communes savoyardes. Le Genevois et Lac d'Annecy [History of the Savoyard municipalities. The Genevois region and Lake Annecy] (in French). Vol. III. Roanne: Éditions Horvath. pp. 251-261-154. ISBN 2-7171-0200-0.
- Blondel, Louis (1978). Châteaux de l'ancien diocèse de Genève [Castles of the former diocese of Geneva] (in French). Vol. 7. Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 84.
- Chapier, Georges (2005). Châteaux Savoyards : Faucigny, Chablais, Tarentaise, Maurienne, Savoie propre, Genevois [Savoyard castles: Faucigny, Chablais, Tarentaise, Maurienne, Savoie propre, Genevois]. L'amateur Averti (in French). La Découvrance. pp. 35–38. ISBN 978-2-84265-326-2.
- Chapier, Georges (1961). Châteaux savoyards : Faucigny et Chablais [Savoyard castles: Faucigny and Chablais]. L'amateur Averti (in French). Vol. 5. Grenoble: Éditions Revue Les Alpes. p. 219.
Archival collections
- "Inventaire-Index des comptes de châtellenies et de subsides (conservés aux Archives départementales de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie) Série SA" [Inventory-Index of accounts of castellanies and subsidies (held at the Departmental Archives of Savoie and Haute-Savoie) Series SA] (PDF) (in French). pp. 276–288. Retrieved December 2, 2025.