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Origin and history

The castle of the Tower of Grillly is an old fortified house built in 1481 by Claude de Grailly, lord of Ville-la-Grand, on the site of a Roman tower. This building marked the junction of the roads between Grillly and Gex, Divonne and Coppet. It remained owned by the younger branch of the Grailly for a century before passing, in 1592, to the Gingins by the marriage of Claudine de Grillly with François de Gingins. The castle then changed hands several times, notably in 1652, when Claude Antoine de la Forest, marrying Bonne de Gingins, became lord of the Tour de Grillly and Saint-Laurent de Rumilly.

In the 18th century, the castle gradually lost its seigneurial role. In 1733 Victor Amédée de la Forest withdrew after having given up his other estate. The property then passed to the Grenauds in 1788, when Guillaume de Grenaud, after acquiring the castle and the seigneury of Grillly, became Baron de Grillly. In the 19th century, the castle was fragmented between different owners. It was only in 1993 that a new owner undertook major restoration work, completed in 2008, giving the monument its historical aspect.

Architecturally, the castle preserves a square tower pierced by archeries, characteristic of its medieval period. Although partially listed as historical monuments since 1987 (facades, roofs and two chimneys on the first floor), it reflects the successive transformations between the 15th and 18th centuries. Its history reflects the alliances and seigneurial transmissions typical of the Country of Gex, on the border between France and Savoie.

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