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Origin and history

The château de Gourdans, located in the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Niost, is originally a medieval fortress built in the 13th century. Formerly girded with three ramparts, this defensive construction was profoundly redesigned in the 17th century to become an elegant gentilhommière. The seigneury, attached to Savoie's house in Savoyard Viennese, changed hands several times before being erected in 1497.

In 1270, the domain of Gourdans was detached by Thomas III of Piedmont for the benefit of Guichard, lord of Anthons, thus integrating the Dauphiné. After the Treaty of Paris, the castle returned under Savoyard rule. Philibert II de Savoie offered the seigneury, now baronie, to his brother René de Savoie. Later, between 1660 and 1830, the castle belonged to the Barons de Montolivet, then passed to the family of Leusse, still owner in 2017.

The architecture of the castle reflects its successive transformations: from a medieval fortress designed for defence, with its triple enclosures, to an aristocratic residence of the seventeenth century. The architectural changes illustrate the changing needs and social status of its owners, moving from a military to a residential and symbolic role within the local nobility.

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