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Origin and history

The Château de Montfort, located in the commune of Saint-Sulpice en Savoie, is a former castle built in the 14th century. It was the center of the seigneury of Montfort, raised in Barony in 1563. Its ruins, perched on a wooded nipple overlooking the ravine of Nant Bruyant, still reveal traces of a 7 × 7 metre square dungeon, as well as remains of round and semicircular towers. The houses, built in small appliances, and the terraces, now covered by vegetation, recall its original quadrangular architecture.

The castle changed hands several times over the centuries. From 1377 he belonged to the family of Herbeys, native of Chambéry, with figures such as Jacques d'Herbeys and Guigues d'Herbeys. In 1447 he passed to the family of Montfort, then to Lambert Oddinet, an anobli bourgeois of Chambéry and knight of the order of Saint-Maurice. In 1563 Louis Oddinet obtained the title of Baron de Montfort, marking the climax of his prestige.

In the 17th century, the castle was transmitted by marriage to Georges de Mouxy, then to Louis de Seyssel, Marquis d'Aix, in 1606. In 1660, the baronie fell to the Marquis de Coudrée, who gave it in 1702 to Joseph Aretan, while the castle was already in ruins. Arestan sold it in 1744 to Louis Morand, whose son, Claude-François-Alexandre Morand, bought the title of Baron de Montfort that same year. The Morand family retained the estate until its extinction in 1879.

Architecturally, Montfort Castle was a quadrangular building typical of medieval fortresses. Its current remains make it possible to identify the location of the dungeon and towers, as well as small-scale accommodation. The terraces, now invaded by vegetation, recall its strategic location on a site overlooking the ravine of Nant Bruyant.

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