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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Hautefort, located in Saint-Nicolas-de-Macherin en Isère, finds its origins in the 11th century with the construction of a strong house by the family of Clermont, dependent on their castle of Chirens. This medieval fortress, which was named in 1080 under Sibaud I, consisted of a square tower and a detached chapel, where burials of the lords of Clermont were discovered. The property remained in this vein until 1537, when it passed into the hands of Claude de Bellièvre, attorney general and then first president of the Parliament of the Dauphiné.

In the 16th century, the castle changed owners several times, notably through the marriage of Anne de Bellièvre with Ennemond Rabot d'Illins, also the first president of Parliament. In the 17th century, the family of Meffray acquired the estate and undertook important works, linking the medieval tower and the chapel with a central building in the 18th century. The French Revolution marked a turning point: Joseph François de Meffray's property, including the castle, was placed under receivership because of his wife's alleged emigration to Switzerland. After seven years of proceedings, his property was returned to him.

In the 19th century, the castle underwent a new phase of transformation under Jean Marie Constantin de Chanay, who redeveloped the park, dug ponds and integrated the chapel into the house body. His son, Jean Alfred, developed a silk factory nearby before financial difficulties forced the family to sell the estate in 1892. Rached by Marie Léon Jules de Morand de Jouffrey, the castle was last renovated, with a restoration of the chapel and park, before being divided into apartments in 1982 after its sale in lots.

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