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Origin and history

The Château de Conzié is an old fortified house probably built in the 14th century, located in the commune of Bloye, Haute-Savoie. The capital of the seigneury of Conzié, it dominates the marshy plain between Albens, Saint-Félix and Rumilly, northeast of the village. This monument illustrates medieval defensive architecture adapted to local issues, while undergoing further transformations, especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The castle is inseparable from the family of Conzié, of which Galéas, quoted in 1103, is the first certified lord. The line marks the history of the place, as evidenced by Aymon de Conzié, who married Gabrielle de Lucinge in 1194 before retiring to the Mont-Joux Hospice. François de Conzié, bishop of Grenoble in 1380, founded around 1370 a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist near the castle, as well as a family tomb in Rumilly. The seigneury remained in their hands until 1546, when it was sold to the Monforts.

Passed into the hands of the Monforts for two centuries, the castle then changed owners, including the Piedmontese Jean-Guillaume Gromet in 1748. In 1783 Joseph-François de Conzié, a 76-year-old Marquis and Count, bought him back before his nephews, the Gerbaix de Sonnaz d'Habère, inherited him in 1789. The current building, in square shape with a square tower and French ceilings, preserves traces of its reshuffles, including 18th century windows.

Today, the castle of Conzié bears witness to the architectural and social changes of Savoy, from its role as a medieval strong house to its adaptations to the tastes of modern times. Its history also reflects the alliances and inheritances that have shaped the local nobility, between family heritages and strategic sales.

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