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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Haute-Savoie
  5. 74210 Giez

  6. Gye Castle

Gye Castle à Giez en Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie

Gye Castle

    32 Chemin du Château
    74210 Giez
Château de Gye
Château de Gye
Château de Gye
Crédit photo : B-noa - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1418
Infeodation at Peter II of Villette
XVe siècle (début)
Supposed origin
1er avril 1604
Erection in barony
2e moitié XIXe siècle
Restoration and decor
9 octobre 1979
Partial registration MH
22 août 1996
Full registration MH
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Facades and roofs; the following rooms with their decor: dining room, large room, library, large living room, office and former winter living room on the ground floor, double bedroom and small south bedroom on the first floor (Box B 1): inscription by order of 9 October 1979; The buildings of the farm: house, barn- barn, stables, henhouse, kennel, pig house, greenhouse; facades and roofs of the two pavilions located against the wall of the terrace of the castle; courtyards, terraces and gardens located below the castle to the east (including retaining walls); park located at the back of the castle to the southwest with the 18th century fountain, waterfalls with their basins and canals, meadow, groves, wood (cad. B 1, 3): registration by order of 22 August 1996

Key figures

Amédée VIII de Savoie - Duke of Savoie Infeode Giez in 1418 at Peter II.
Pierre II de Villette - Chablais Vice-Bailiff First indecent lord in 1418.
Urbain Ier de Villette - Lord of Giez Tribute to Duke Louis I in 1430.
François de Villette - Lord of Giez Obtained rights of justice in 1496.
Amédée III de Villette - Baron then Count Build Gyez in barony (1604).
Urbain II de Villette - Lord and Founder Creates a dedicated local chapel.

Origin and history

Gye Castle, also known as Gy Castle or Giez Castle, is an old strong house whose origins could go back to the early 15th century, although architectural traces suggest a foundation from the 13th century. Located in the municipality of Giez in Haute-Savoie, it was initially indeeded in 1418 by Amédée VIII de Savoie to Pierre II de Villette, vice-bailli du Chablais, marking the beginning of his seigneurial history. This family, especially the Chevron-Villette, exercised rights of justice and territorial management there until its birth in the 17th century in the county.

Over the centuries, the castle underwent several major transformations: renovated in the 16th century, it was restored and embellished in the second half of the 19th century, with the addition of interior decorations and the creation of a model farm incorporating stables from the 17th to 18th centuries. The park, built at the same time, includes an 18th-century fountain and a network of artificial waterfalls. The facades, roofs and interiors were listed as historical monuments in 1979, followed by the communes and park in 1996.

The site retains defensive elements of its military past, although its residential and agricultural vocation took precedence after the 16th century. Today, it is still owned by the Chevron-Villette family and bears witness to the architectural and social evolution of a Savoyard seigneury, moving from a medieval strong house to a modernised aristocratic residence. The archives also mention a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy and Saint Barbe, founded by Urban II of Villette in the local church.

In 1732 the seigneury of Giez grouped around the castle two farms, two mills, a forge and lands estimated at 330 newspapers, illustrating its central economic role in the region. The seigneurial rights, including justice and natural resources, were confirmed several times by the Dukes of Savoy, notably in 1430 and 1496. These historical documents underline the strategic and symbolic importance of the estate for local noble families.

The architectural and archival sources, such as the works of Georges Chapier or the monographs of the Revue Savoisienne, complete the knowledge of this monument. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments today protects a coherent ensemble combining castle, farm, park and hydraulic elements, reflecting nearly six centuries of Savoyard history.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum