Château de Charousse en Haute-Savoie

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Origin and history

The château de Charousse, also known as château de Pierre Brûlée, was an 11th century castle in the county of Geneva, enclave in the Faucigny. Set at 1,000 meters above sea level on a foothill of Varens' needle, it dominated the high valley of the Arve, controlling access to Chamonix, Megève and Val Montjoie. Its location in a "nail nest", accessible only by the east, made it an almost impregnable fortress, protected by cliffs of more than 100 meters.

The toponym Charousse appeared for the first time in 1225 in the form Cherrossa, then evolved into Charossa (1250, 1268), Carossia (1296) and Charosia (1485). Its origin may come from the Gallois calmis (pasturing) associated with redhead (color), or from charoutze (burnt rock). The castle was the center of a mandation covering the right bank of the Arve, bordered to the north by the lands of the priory of Chamonix, with the Diosaz as the natural limit.

The first archaeological traces, dated from the late 12th or early 13th century by Louis Blondel, suggest an earlier construction, perhaps from the 11th century. The castle was mentioned in 1225 in a transaction between William II of Geneva and Aymon II of Faucigny. Although owned by the Counts of Geneva, he was partly responsible for the Counts of Savoie since the marriage of Thomas I of Savoie to Marguerite de Genève (circa 1196). This dual dependence made it a strategic issue in the conflicts between the two houses.

In 1250, Peter II of Savoie seized the castle after tensions with William II of Geneva. Count Rodolphe of Geneva, initially refusing the tribute, was forced to yield in 1260. The castle then served as a refuge for the revolted farmers of Chamonix (1289) and remained a point of friction until the 1308 treaty, where Guillaume III of Geneva recognized Savoyard suzerainety. Between 1330 and 1355, he regained a military role during the Delphino-Savoyard Wars, before being definitively integrated into Savoie County in 1417 after the redemption of the rights of the Geneva heirs.

Today, nothing remains but remains: walls of the enclosure, traces of the square dungeon (10 m side) and the corner shield wall. The fortress, 128 metres long, housed a courtyard-refugee with housing and wooden defenses (muetes). Its unique access, via a road from the village of Bay, reinforced its defensive character. According to local tradition, its stones were used to build the village of Bay.

The castle was the seat of a Comtal chestnut, reporting directly to the Counts of Geneva (1385–1414), then to Savoie. This châtellenie included strong houses like La Frasse or Lucinges. His arms, in the 17th century, were blazed with a silver cross and three paux de gules sur gold. The Châtelaines, appointed by the Count, managed the tax revenues and maintenance of the site, sometimes assisted by a receiver of accounts.

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