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Origin and history

The castle of Cessens-Neuf is an ancient castle built between the 13th and 14th centuries, whose ruins remain in the municipality of Cessens, in Savoie. Located on a nipple of the Cessens mountain, 220 meters southwest of Cessens-Vieux, it illustrates medieval defensive architecture with its quadrangular enclosure, archeries and circular dungeon today partially arased. A courtyard, lodges and a chapel dedicated to Saint Laurent once completed this whole, still habitable in 1608.

In 1281, the castle belonged to the Sires de Faucigny before being besieged in 1284 by the troops of the Count of Savoie, who obtained its suzerainety while leaving direct possession to the Grésy-Faucigny. In 1316 Rodolphe de Grésy received Cessens-Vieux in the fiefdom of Guillaume III of Geneva, while Cessens-Neuf remained disputed between the houses of Savoie and Geneva. The year 1324 marks a turning point: Édouard de Savoie definitely took over the castle after a fierce fight, thus consolidating Savoyard domination in the Albanian region.

The castle then changes hands several times by playing fief and sales. Infeded with the Clermont, Orlyé, and then Mouxy families, he moved to Manfred de Saluces in 1432. In the 16th century, it was sold on two occasions: first in 1563 to Louis Oddinet, Baron de Montfort, for ECU 4 000 in gold, then bought in 1572 by Jacques de Savoie-Nemours before being given in 1575 to Guillaume de Portes, President of the Parliament of Dauphiné, for ECU 6 000. After him, his son Antoine de Portes inherited it.

The current remains reveal a 22 × 28 metre enclosure with 1.40 metre thick walls, pierced by archery and dominated by a 7.86 metre diameter circular dungeon. A well or a cistern remains in the northeast corner, while the traces of the house and chapel remind its residential and religious use. The site, strategic, reflects feudal struggles between the Counts of Savoie, Geneva and the local lords for the control of the region.

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