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Origin and history

Beauvoir Castle, built in the 13th century in Beauvoir-en-Royans, was the main residence of the Vienna dolphins between 1258 and 1350. Built by Humbert II, the last defending Dauphin, it symbolized the ambition of a lavish courtyard, with 1,000 windows and a capacity for 2,000 people. Its location offered an exceptional view of the Isère valley, between Grenoble and Valencia, at the foot of the Vercors cliffs.

In 1349, Humbert II handed over the Dauphiné and the castle to Charles, the son of Jean de Normandie, during the Treaty of Romans, against 200,000 guilders and an annual rent. This transfer marked the end of the golden age of the castle, abandoned after 1349. The current remains, including part of the wall, the Delphinal Chapel and the dungeon, bear witness to its past grandeur. The ruins, integrated into the former Carmelite convent, were classified as historical monuments in 1922.

The site now houses a Delphinal Museum, created in the 1920s by César Filhol, which traces the history of the Dauphins and their principality. A conservatory garden, inspired by medieval gardens and created in 2009, completes the visit with aromatic plants, old vegetables and an orchard of two hundred fruit trees. These developments highlight the dual heritage of the place: residential and agricultural.

The castle of Beauvoir illustrates the apogee and then the decline of the delphinal principality, before its attachment to the crown of France. Its architecture, though partial, and its museum offer a unique insight into the courteous and political life of the Middle Ages in south-eastern France. The ruins, accessible from the national road 532, remain a major testimony of this pivotal period.

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