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Origin and history

The Château d'Entremont, also known as Château de Montbel or Les Teppaz, is a former 10th century castle located in Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont, Savoie. Its ruins, perched at 859 meters above sea level, overlook the gorges of Cozon and Guiers Vif. This strategic site was the center of the seigneury of Entremont, possession of the lords of Montbel, and a point of tension between the Counts of Savoie and the dolphins of Vienna.

In the 10th century, a castral moth probably occupied the site. In 1098, Philippe of Entremont, lord of Montbel, took part in the first crusade and died in the siege of Antioche. His son, Hugues I, and his grandson Guillaume, strengthened family power. The latter, after having accompanied Saint Louis to the seventh crusade (1248), rebuilt the castle of the Epistle to house a relic there: a Holy Epison of the Crown of Christ, offered by the king.

The castle becomes a political issue between Savoy and Dauphiné. In 1234, Guillaume (I) of Entremont paid tribute to the dolphin Guigues VI of Vienna, but his heirs, including Guillaume (II) and Rodolphe, finally submitted to the Savoy in 1240 and 1263. In 1306 Rollet de Montbel broke his Savoyard allegiance to the Dauphiné, causing a siege and partial destruction of the castle by Amédée V de Savoie. The stones are reused, and the family settles at the Château des Éparres in Dauphiné.

The site, now in ruins, has several names related to its history or geography: château de la Roche-Fendue (because of its unknown position), château de Teppaz (after the neighbouring hamlet), or château de Montbel. Its remains recall the feudal conflicts that marked the border between Savoy and Dauphiné, as well as the decline of an influential seigneurial lineage.

The subsequent excavations and studies underline its role as an advanced stronghold, sometimes Savoyard, sometimes Dauphinois. The Château de Saint-Pierre (or Château-Neuf d-Entremont), built shortly after 1306 by Aymar de Montbel with the permission of the Dauphin, permanently replaces the destroyed building, marking the end of its medieval history.

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