Initial construction 1250 (≈ 1250)
Geneva Comtal Watch Tower built.
1402
Purchase by Savoy
Purchase by Savoy 1402 (≈ 1402)
Acquired by Amédée VIII de Savoie.
1670
Acquisition of Costa family
Acquisition of Costa family 1670 (≈ 1670)
Integrate their heritage before marquisat.
1700
Erection in marquisat
Erection in marquisat 1700 (≈ 1700)
Noble status for the Costa family.
1792
Revolutionary damage
Revolutionary damage 1792 (≈ 1792)
Damaged during the French Revolution.
1964
Partial classification
Partial classification 1964 (≈ 1964)
Protected facades and roofs.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facades and roofs (Case B 11): inscription by order of 1 June 1964
Key figures
Amédée VIII de Savoie - Count then Duke of Savoy
Buyer of the castle in 1402.
Famille Costa de Beauregard - Marquis owners (from 1670)
Build the estate in marquisat.
Comtes de Genève - Initial Lords
Founders of chestnut in the 13th century.
Origin and history
The Château de Beauregard, built around 1250 in Chens-sur-Léman, was originally a strategic watchtower for the Counts of Geneva. Located on the left bank of the Hermance in front of the Léman, it served as a forward post against Savoyard possessions in Chablais, including Thonon. This fortified site, integrated with the Beauregard-Ballelon chestnut, embodied the power of comtal with a chestnut named to manage tax and maintenance.
Damaged in 1536 by the Bernese and then in 1792 during the Revolution, the castle had several notable owners. Repurchased in 1402 by Amédée VIII de Savoie, in 1670 it became property of the Costa de Beauregard family, erected as a marquisat in 1700. Despite transformations, his 13th century pentagonal dungeon, with a remarkable roof, remains as a witness to his military and seigneurial past.
Partially listed as Historic Monuments in 1964, the estate includes a pre-invented park in 1991 as a remarkable garden. Its history reflects the regional tensions between Geneva and Savoie, as well as the evolution of feudal systems towards the Ancien Régime. The châtellenie, first comtal Geneva, became Savoyard in 1401, changing the role of the chestnut as a revocable officer.
Archaeological and textual sources (Guichonnet, Blondel) underline its strategic and administrative importance. Today, the castle illustrates medieval defensive architecture adapted to the political stakes of the Northern Alps, between Lake Geneva and Savoyard mountains.
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