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Origin and history

The Bayard Castle is an ancient 15th-century fortress built by Pierre Terrail first of the name, vice-châtelain of the Lord of Avallon. Built around 1404 on a hill overlooking the Gresivaudan valley, this residence was initially contested because it was located on the Dauphiné border. Pierre Terrail finally obtained permission to complete it, despite the restrictions imposed by a statute of 1349 prohibiting private fortifications without the governor's agreement. Originally, the building had four round towers and three levels of sill windows, as illustrated by 19th-century illustrations.

The house officially became a castle under Peter II Terrail, son of the founder, who took the title of lord. When he died in 1465, the estate passed to his son Aymon, then to Peter III Terrail, the famous Knight Bayard, who was born there and spent part of his life there. The castle served as his occasional residence when he administered the Dauphiné as Lieutenant-General. After his death, the estate changed hands several times by inheritance or marriage, passing from Terrail to Copier, then to the families of Avançon, Simiane de Gordes, and finally Noinville in 1735.

By 1698 the castle was in ruins, its stones having been used to build local houses despite the protests of scholars. Confiscated as a good emigré in 1795 during the Revolution, it was partially restored in the 19th century by the parish priest Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, then from 1890. Since 1975, two of its rooms have housed a museum dedicated to the Knight Bayard, managed by the Friends of Bayard Association. Today, the castle remains a private property associated with a 1 hectare wine estate, replanted in 2006, producing about 8,000 bottles annually in reasoned cultivation.

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