Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Barbarin is an ancient fortified house erected in the 14th century on the heights of Revel (today Revel-Tourdan, Isère). Built of stone of molass and pebbles, this quadrangular tower served first as a military observatory to monitor the Bièvre plain and alert the nearby Castle of Revel. Its founder, François de Revel, lord of the fief, made it a strategic point linked to the family of Revel, owner of the premises since 1077. The initial structure, on a dry ditch, will evolve with successive additions until the 18th century.

In the 15th century, the fortified house was enlarged by Josserand de Saussac and his wife Marie de Rousillon, who added a high and low courtyard as well as two painted rooms. The site then passes into the hands of the family of Saint-Julien: in 1566, Octavien Emé de Saint-Julien, president of the parliament of the Dauphiné, adorned his architectural mark with a round tower and a court, despite a long trial for his possession. Interior decorations (stuces, orange red murals) date from this period.

The 17th–15th centuries transformed Barbarin into an area of pleasure. Laurent Joseph Emé de Saint-Julien pierced 23 windows on the south facade, built terraced gardens and built a three-nave barn (1728–1732). Sold in 1745 for 500,000 pounds to Pierre Hilaire de Lamaletie, treasurer of France, the property changed hands several times before being split in 1984: the castle was then separated from its lands for the first time. After decades of abandonment, it has been restored since 1993 by Philippe Seigle, who develops cultural and tourist activities.

Today a private property open to the public, Barbarin has been protected since 2011 (inscription MH for its facades, roofs, staircases and paintings on the first floor). The association People of Barbarin organizes visits, guest rooms and activities, integrating the site with the network of castles Alpes-Isère and the Journées du Patrimoine. Its history reflects the changes of a strong house, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, through its role as a seigneurial residence and then as an agricultural estate.

Architecturally, the castle preserves traces of its successive phases: the medieval quadrangular tower (XIVe), the rectangular house (XVe), and the defensive corner tower (before 1586) with firemouths. The interiors reveal a French ceiling, stuccos, and murals rediscovered in 2009. The outbuildings (grange, stable, dovecote) bear witness to its agricultural past, while the gardens and pavilions illustrate its classic age.

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