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Origin and history

The castle of Deptezieu, located in the hamlet of the same name in Saint-Savin (Isère), has its origins in the 12th century, although traces suggest an earlier foundation, perhaps from the 11th century. Originally, it was a powerful feudal fortress with about fifteen towers connected by an 800-metre enclosure, defended by deep ditches. Today, there remains only one wing with a tower, vestige of this imposing medieval architecture.

In the Middle Ages, the castle changed hands several times and underwent major transformations. As early as 1075, Hugues de Deptezieu was the first known chestnut, linked to the Beauvoir family. In the 13th century, rights over the castle were transferred to Pierre de Savoie, brother of Count Amédée IV, as part of the tensions of the Delphino-Savoyard. In 1314, the treaty of Villard-Benoît seals its transfer to the Dauphin John II, alongside the strongholds of Montrevel and Meyssieu. The site was then mentioned in the will of Dolphin Humbert II in 1343, then passed into the hands of the Alleman family in the late 15th century.

The 15th and 16th centuries marked a phase of architectural reshaping, with the addition of a body of rectangular houses and a richly decorated hexagonal turret, typical of the Renaissance. The remaining tower, perhaps the former dungeon, preserves arches and a 15th century staircase, classified as a historical monument in 1954. The castle, a communal property since 1904, is now being restored (2019), after being partially sold by the last lord, Laurent Marguerite de Vallin, in the revolutionary era.

Its name, attested in the form Dentesiaci (XIIIth century) or Denteysiaci (XIVth century), reflects its medieval anchor. The site, strategic between Bourgoin-Jallieu and Crémieu, was also linked to road issues: in 1455, the future Louis XI ordered work on the Bourgoin-Crémieu road, involving Jean Bovet, a resident of Deptezieu. The fortress, symbol of seigneurial power, declines with the end of feudality, before becoming a protected communal heritage.

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