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Origin and history

Cinne Castle, also known as Chevelu Castle, is an ancient castle probably erected in the 12th century. Located on a nipple near the hamlet of Chevelu, 1 km southwest of the village of Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu (Savoie), it overlooks the old chapel and the Mont du Chat. This strategic site housed the seigneury of Chevelu, raised to the rank of Barony, and whose remains still bear witness to its medieval importance.

Chevelu's family, mentioned from the beginning of the 12th century, was the main owner. Bernard de Chevelu, quoted around 1100, co-signed in 1125 the act of foundation of the Abbey of Hautecombe. His son, Torestan, took part in the second crusade in 1147 alongside Count Amédée III of Savoy. Subsequent generations, such as Jacques, Guiffred and Guy de Chevelu, were involved in comtal charters, crusades (such as that of the Albigois in 1226) and local transactions, consolidating their influence.

Over the centuries, the seigneury passed into the hands of descendants like Jean de Chevelu (c. 1260), whose son Jacquemet inherited from Lucey's castle in 1296. The family acquired property in Yenne and maintained close ties with the Counts of Savoy, as evidenced by the repeated tributes and investitures (especially under Amédée VIII in 1392). However, in the 16th century, the line was extinguished: Claudine de Chevelu, the last heir, left the fief in 1513 to her nephew Claude de Mareste.

The castle then changed hands, echoing the Marquis of Yenne around 1715. At the French Revolution, it was dismantled and sold as a national good. The inhabitants used his stones as a quarry, leaving today only a few walls and a cellar. Two modern houses have since been built on the site, partially erasing its feudal past.

Architecturally, the castle of Cinne illustrates medieval Savoyard fortifications, with an alleged castral mound and an enclosure whose remains still delimit the site. Its history reflects the political and social dynamics of Savoy, between seigneurial power, comtal alliances and decline in modern times.

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