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Origin and history

The Manor House of Aigueblanche, also known as the Sires Castle of Briançon, is an old strong house erected at the end of the 13th century to control access to Moutiers. It replaces a medieval castral motte and is located in a fortified village, surrounded by walls whose remains remain. This site, located on the right bank of Isère, used to communicate with a Roman road via a wooden bridge, now replaced by the Bourgeaillet bridge. The seigneury, owned by Briançon's family, was erected as a marquisat in 1680 after centuries of architectural transformations and changes of owners.

Originally, the strong house was surrounded by defensive walls, with a square tower-residence and a horse-drawn iron tower with a mâchicoulis staircase. The redevelopments of the 15th and 16th centuries (windows with sills, ceilings with caissons) soften its austere appearance. The mansion passed into the hands of noble families: the Briançon (up to the 14th century), the Montmayeur (up to the 16th century), and the Saint Thomas after 1639. In 1743 he resisted a Spanish attack during a conflict between the Sardinian troops and Count Acquaviva's miquelets.

The seigneury of Aigueblanche, given in fief in 1202 at Gérald de Briançon, became a strategic issue for the control of the Tarentaise. In the 14th century, Léonette de Briançon brought in dowry to the Montmayeur, which kept it until the 16th century. In 1559 Nicolas de Montmayeur modernized the castle, adding Renaissance elements. The Marquisat, created in 1680 for Charles-Victor-Joseph de Saint-Thomas, marked the climax of his prestige. Between 1716 and 1784, the peasants bought back feudal rights, gradually weakening his seigneurial power.

The manor house, sold to Monsieur Ancenay from 1884 to 1901, preserves traces of his medieval past: carved cul-de-lampe, fir wood ceiling, and ground stone frames. The remains of the walls, visible until the 19th century, recall its defensive role. Today it bears witness to the architectural and political evolution of Savoy, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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