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Origin and history

The Château de l'Arthaudière is an ancient 13th century fortified house, several times transformed, located in Saint-Bonnet-de-Chavagne in the department of Isère. Ranked a historic monument in 1991, it preserves medieval remains such as a round tower and a barlong dungeon, as well as Renaissance elements and later developments.

Attested from 1345, the strong house belonged to the Arthaud family. The round tower, base of the 13th century, and the 14th century dungeon are the oldest parts of it. In the 16th century, André I de La Porte founded a chapel, while André II de La Porte restored the castle after its fire by Protestants in 1580. Major transformations, such as the Renaissance Gallery and the 18th-century staircase, reflect its evolution into a seigneurial residence.

The castle, partially destroyed by a fire around 1950, includes a medieval house flanked by a turret, "L" stables with a covered well, and Italian-inspired gardens dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. The outbuildings, such as the commons and the farm, as well as the terraces and fence walls, are protected as historical monuments.

The stables, organized around two courses, now house an exhibition on the history of the castle and the families who occupied it. The car rebate, the oldest part, and the portal mark the entrance of the estate. The round tower, raised in the 18th century by a polygonal brick volume, houses a chapel and an armoured cabinet that was used to preserve the precious properties of the lords.

Successive works, notably in 1680 (a monumental staircase, east wing), in 1726, and in the 19th century, shaped the present appearance of the castle. Despite the destructions and changes, the Arthurière remains an architectural testimony of the transitions between the Middle Ages, Renaissance and modern era in Dauphiné.

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