Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Tower of Marignan is a medieval fortress located in Sciez, Haute-Savoie, acquired in 1258 by the Abbey of Filly. This fortified building, with thick walls pierced by murderers, was used to protect the crops, especially the wine produced by the monks. The estate became a major wine centre thanks to favourable ecological conditions and the economic importance of wine for the abbey.

In the 15th century, the Abbey of Filly declined, and in 1536, the Bernese invasion led to the sale of the Marignan estate in 1547. For three centuries, it frequently changed owners, often wealthy Genevan families such as the Budé or the Turretini, while remaining exploited by local farmers. Agricultural activity, based on polyculture and viticulture, persists despite hand changes.

In 1873, the estate was fragmented and sold to farmers, including Jean-Marie Suchet, who revived viticulture despite the phylloxera crises (1894) and the suppression of the Great Free Zone (1923). Today, the Tower of Marignan is a 5 hectare organic winery, managed by the descendants of Suchet, and produces an AOC wine under the name Château la Tour de Marignan.

The building, a private property not open to the public, preserves medieval elements such as an integrated round tower and a molasse staircase. The facades, redesigned in the 19th and 20th centuries, mask the ancient murderers, while the interior houses a carved frame comparable to that of Chillon Castle. The cellar, the historical heart of the estate, bears witness to its uninterrupted winemaking past.

The current vineyard, reduced to a dozen hectares out of the 160 initials of the municipality, has enjoyed a controlled designation of origin (AOC Marignan) since 1973. Production, marketed locally, perpetuates an eight-century wine tradition adapted to modern challenges by converting to organic farming in 1993.

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