Château de Monthoux

Château de Monthoux
LocationCountry: France
Former provinces of the Duchy of Savoy: Faucigny
Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department: Haute-Savoie
Municipality: Vétraz-Monthoux
TypeCastle
Beginning datebefore 1245

The Château de Monthoux (also spelled Montoux, Monthouz, or Monthous) is a former fortified castle built in the mid-13th century. It is located in the commune of Vétraz-Monthoux, in the department of Haute-Savoie, within the Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes region. From the 13th to the 15th century, it served as the seat of a châtellenie.

Location

The castle was constructed on a hill at the entrance to the Arve Valley, overlooking Annemasse and positioned between the Voirons to the northeast and the Petit Salève to the southwest.[1][2] It occupies the northern end of the hill, oriented toward the northeast,[ReG 1][ReG 2] in an area known as Haut Monthoux. Located at an elevation of 567 metres, it overlooked the Arve[1][2] below and controlled the roads linking Annemasse to Bonne and to Bonneville.[1][2]

Opposite the site stands the Château de Mornex, which controlled the opposite bank of the valley and belonged to the lords of Geneva.

According to historian Alfred Fierro, in his thesis Les enquêtes de 1339 en Dauphiné et en Faucigny, intérêt démographique, the castle was situated about one league from Geneva, with a vantage point from which the entire city was visible, making it difficult to leave Geneva without being seen from the castle.

The castle’s chapel belonged to the bishopric of Geneva, which became a source of tension between the Baron of Faucigny and the bishop.[ReG 2][ReG 3]

History

The Swiss archaeologist Louis Blondel suggests that the hill may have hosted an earlier fortification.[1] The site was developed “shortly before 1245” by Aymon II, Baron of Faucigny, who established the town and the Château de Monthoux on the border with the County of Geneva, alongside other new settlements such as the villeneuves and the Château d’Hermance.[1][3] Each of these settlements was accompanied by a castle. Pope Innocent IV authorized the creation of a chapel within the Château de Monthoux.[2][ReG 2] The estate belonged to the Faucigny family, first to Aymon II, then to his daughter Agnès, who married Peter of Savoy.[2] It later passed to their daughter Beatrice, known as the “Great Dauphine,” who married Guigues VII, Dauphin of Viennois.[2]

Dauphine Béatrice pledged the castle in 1269[ReG 4] while she was held captive by her aunt, and in 1270 it passed in pledge to her uncle, Count Philip I.[ReG 4] In May 1293, Béatrice of Faucigny transferred the property to her cousin, Count Amadeus V of Savoy.[ReG 5][ReG 6] The following month, the Great Dauphine performed homage to the Count of Savoy for the castle.[ReG 7]

The construction of the Château de Gaillard in 1304 was challenged by Hugues, lord of Faucigny and son of the Dauphin of Viennois,[4][ReG 8] Humbert I, who claimed that the structure had been built on his lands.[4][ReG 8] The Count of Geneva disputed this claim, as the new castle posed an issue for the Château de Monthoux, which controlled the northern entrance to Faucigny.[5] An agreement was reached during a meeting at the Château de Mornex on 13 October 1304.[5][ReG 8] The two lords stipulated that the castles of Monthoux and Gaillard owed each other mutual protection and would provide support in the event of an attack by the Count of Savoy.[ReG 8]

During the peace treaty concluded in August 1308[2] between the Count of Savoy and the Great Dauphine Beatrice, the castles of Faucigny, Bonne, Monthoux, Bonneville, Châtelet-de-Crédoz, Alinge-le-Vieux, and Lullin, along with their mandements and jurisdictions, were included in the agreement.[ReG 9]

On 22 April 1532, Michel de Viry sold the castle and its mandement to Michel Guillet for 1,400 gold écus, plus 600 gold écus for redemption rights and the rights to redeem the tithes near Collonges.[2] The new owners subsequently adopted the name Guillet de Monthoux.[2]

Description

The castrum comprised a keep with its enclosing wall, a village situated below, and a church, all contained within a fortified perimeter.[6][2]

According to Louis Blondel, the Retable of Saint Peter by Konrad Witz (1444) includes a landscape featuring the castle. The depiction shows a substantial keep, estimated at 29 × 29 metres, surmounted by a taller tower.[6][2]

Châtellenie of Monthoux

The Château de Monthoux served as the center of a châtellenie, or mandement, within the seigneury of Faucigny. During the Delphinal period (1342–1343), Faucigny was organized into fifteen châtellenies, one of which was Monthoux.[7]

In the 14th century, the châtellenie encompassed the parishes of Haut- and Bas-Monthoux, Annemasse, Ambilly, Sales, and Vétraz.[8][9]

Villages, parishes, fortifications of the castellany of Monthoux[10]
Municipality Name Type
Étrembières Terreaux or Châtillon Castle castle
Vétraz-Monthoux Monthoux Castle castle

In the County of Savoy, the châtelain was an officer appointed for a fixed term, revocable and removable.[11][12] The office was responsible for managing the châtellenie or mandement, collecting fiscal revenues, and maintaining the castle.[13]

Châtelains of Hermance, 14th to 15th century[14]
  • 26 July 1332 – 22 March 1335: Aymon and Humbersier de Pontverre, co-châtelains and co-receivers;
  • 22 March 1335 – 4 December 1335: Humbersier de Pontverre;
  • 18 April 1355 – 7 June 1362: Pierre de Saint-Joyre called Porchaton;
  • 9 August 1437 – 21 January 1445: Guillaume Bolomier, lord of Nercy, châtelain and receiver.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Blondel 1978, p. 299
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gavard 2006, pp. 56–57
  3. ^ 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. Geneva: Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 237. ISBN 978-2-600-05020-3. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Gavard 2006, p. 61
  5. ^ a b Mallet, Édouard (1855). "Aimon du Quart et Genève pendant son épiscopat 1304 à 1311" [Aimon du Quart and Geneva during his episcopate from 1304 to 1311]. Mémoires et Documents (Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève) (in French) (IX): 111–112. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Blondel 1978, p. 302
  7. ^ de la Corbière, Matthieu (2002). L'invention et la défense des frontières dans le diocèse de Genève : Étude des principautés et de l'habitat fortifié (XIIe - XIVe siècle) [The invention and defense of borders in the diocese of Geneva: A study of principalities and fortified settlements (12th–14th centuries)] (in French). Annecy: Académie salésienne. p. 195. ISBN 978-2-901102-18-2.
  8. ^ Guichonnet, Paul (1985). Histoire d'Arthaz-Pont-Notre-Dame [History of Arthaz-Pont-Notre-Dame]. Mémoires et document (in French). Vol. 92–93. Académie salésienne. p. 72. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  9. ^ Gavard 2006, pp. 65–66
  10. ^ Payraud 2009, Appendix 8: List of fortified complexes included in the corpus
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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).
  14. ^ "SA - Comptes des chatellenies, des subsides, des revenus et des judicatures" [SA - Accounts of the chatellenies, subsidies, revenues, and judicatures.] (in French). Archived from the original on June 12, 2018.

Régeste genevois

  1. ^ 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. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "REG 0/0/1/771" (Papal bull of Innocent IV dated August 18, 1245) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  3. ^ "REG 0/0/1/804" (Papal bull of Innocent IV dated February 3, 1249) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "REG 0/0/1/1053" (Act of November 15, 1269) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  5. ^ "REG 0/0/1/1374" (Donation of May 26, 1293) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  6. ^ "REG 0/0/1/1375" (Regulation of May 27, 1293) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "REG 0/0/1/1376" (Tribute of June 13, 1293) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d "REG 0/0/1/1532" (Transaction dated October 13, 1304) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  9. ^ "REG 0/0/1/1625" (Peace treaty signed in Montmélian between the Count of Savoy and the Dauphine on August 16, 1308) (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2025.

Bibliography

  • Baud, Henri; Mariotte, Jean-Yves; Guerrier, Alain (1980). Histoire des communes savoyardes : Le Faucigny [History of Savoyard municipalities: Le Faucigny] (in French). Roanne: Éditions Horvath. pp. 128–130. ISBN 2-7171-0159-4.
  • 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. pp. 299 et seq.
  • 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.
  • Gavard, Guy (2006). Histoire d'Annemasse et des communes voisines : les relations avec Genève de l'époque romaine à l'an 2000 [History of Annemasse and neighboring towns: relations with Geneva from Roman times to the year 2000]. Les Savoisiennes (in French). Montmélian: La Fontaine de Siloé. ISBN 978-2-84206-342-9. Retrieved December 6, 2025.

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