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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Groslée, located in the municipality of the same name in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, has a defensive architecture characteristic of the 12th–15th centuries. Its partially preserved enclosure includes a quadrangular dungeon with still visible crowning elements, a massive round tower, and remains of buildings (walls, stairs, chapel). These structures illustrate its strategic role, with troglodytic arrangements like a vaulted volume dug into the rock.

According to historical sources, the castle was built around 1180 by Jacques de Groslée, sénéchal of Lyon, marking its anchor in the local feudal network. In 1323, Jocelyne de Groslée declared it in fief of the Vienna dolphin, revealing his links with regional authorities. The site changed hands several times: sold in 1420 to Aymé VII, Duke of Savoie, then bought in 1455 by the family of Groslée. From the end of the 18th century, it passed between various families before being acquired by inhabitants of the town after the Revolution, with the order to shave it partially.

The current remains, protected since 1992, include defensive elements (gateway, towers, walls) and traces of domestic developments (pathways, bays). Their condition reflects the transformations over the centuries, as well as the conflicts related to their property. Today the private property, the site retains a major heritage value for the medieval history of Bugey and the relations between Savoy and Dauphiné.

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