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Origin and history

The castle of Cessens-Vieux, or tower of Caesar, is an ancient castle fort of the twelfth century, center of the seigneury of Cessens. Its ruins stand on the town of Cessens, in Savoie, on a nipple of the mountain at 830 meters altitude. He was in command of the Sapenay Pass, 220 metres from Cessens-Neuf.

The castle was first cited in 1121 in a charter where Gauthier d'Aix gave land on the castle mountain to the Abbey of Aulps. In 1125, it belonged to Rodolphe de Faucigny, then passed into the hands of the Counts of Geneva. In 1287 Amédée V de Savoie took it from Amédée III in Geneva before returning it by a peace treaty.

In the 14th century, the castle was infused with the family of Grésy, then passed into the hands of the Counts of Savoy in 1401. In 1422 Amédée VIII de Savoie gave up his rights to Gabriel d'Hauteville. The castle was sold several times in the 16th and 17th centuries, notably to Louis Oddinet in 1563 and Guillaume de Portes in 1575, which repaired it. In 1677 he was traded with Claude Carron, before becoming a national asset in 1792.

The castle was the seat of the castle of Cessens and Grésy, reporting directly to the Count of Geneva. It included a square residence tower flanked by a 14th century circular tower, partially collapsed after a fire caused by lightning in 1862. Its thick walls and strategic position made it an important control point.

The archives mention chestnut accounts between 1427 and 1543, illustrating its administrative and fiscal role. After centuries of transformation and changes of owners, the castle falls into ruins, but its remains remain a testimony of medieval military architecture in Savoy.

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