Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Beaumont Castle, located in Saint-Étienne-sur-Chalaronne in Ain, is a 19th-century building built on the ruins of a medieval castle. The latter, quoted in 1330 on a castral mot, belonged successively to noble families such as the Laye, Marmont, or Saix, before being shaved around 1853. The fief, transmitted by alliances and sales (notably to Trollier and then to Cholier), was radically redesigned to give way to the present castle, completed in the 2nd half of the 19th century. The neo-regionalist stables illustrate the hygienist innovations of the time, with marble, copper and enamel equipment.

The original castral motte, a 14th century vestige, remains as a witness to the ancient fortress. The estate also includes a vegetable garden, a well, and a partially protected park since 2006 (registration in Historic Monuments). Among the remarkable elements are a north square tower added in 1865, as well as a hydraulic system operated by horses to feed drinking and castle. The stables, entirely classified, incorporate neat decorations and functional arrangements reflecting modern 19th century precepts.

Prior to its destruction in 1853, the medieval castle had known several influential owners, such as Lionnet du Saix (XVI century) or Abraham Valier, adviser to the parliament of Dombes (XVII century). The site, linked to the feudal history of the Dombes, was also owned by the Cibeins until the Revolution. Today, the castle of Beaumont combines medieval heritage and bourgeois architecture of the Second Empire, with outbuildings (forge, ride, dovecote) bearing witness to its agricultural and seigneurial past.

External links