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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château de la Forest, also known as the Grande Forest, is a 14th century fortress located in Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu, Savoie. Central to the seigneury of La Forest, it stands on a foothill of the Mont du Chat, surrounded by beech forests and spices. Its name comes from the surrounding forest, evoked by the sinople (green) present in the arms of the family of La Forest. The castle, representative of medieval military architecture, includes a quadrangular enclosure flanked by four corner towers and an entrance chestnut protected by a harrow and a hound.

The strong house belongs from the 14th century to the family of La Forest, which preserves it until the 17th century. Among its members, Guillaume de La Forest took part in a tournament organized by Count Amédée VI of Savoie in 1348. In 1422, a sharing transaction was concluded between the heirs of the family. In the 16th century, Philibert de La Forest, the last seigneur, bequeathed the estate to his daughter Isabeau, married to Pierre de Grenaud, on condition that their eldest son took over the name and arms of La Forest.

The castle changed hands in the 18th century, passing to the Grenaud de La Forest, then was sequestered during the Revolution before being sold in 1803 to François Million-Rousseau, former farmer of the estate. Ranked a historic monument in 1995, it is now abandoned and threatens to ruin, after a partial collapse in 2007. Nearby are the remains of the "Little Forest", including a square dungeon and Gothic elements of the primitive castle.

Architecturally, the castle consists of a ground floor and a single floor, with a backed chapel transformed into a stable. The five towers, once made of mâchicoulis pepper, were deconstructed during the Revolution. The sled windows and carved weapons of the La Forest family remind of its past prestige. The site illustrates the evolution of Savoyard fortifications between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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