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Origin and history

Larringes Castle is an ancient fortified house built in the 10th century on a site occupied since Antiquity, as evidenced by Roman remains and 6th century tombs discovered on site. Located in the country of Gavot, on the town of Larringes (Haute-Savoie), it occupied a strategic position with a view extending from the Bernese Alps to Mont Blanc, passing through the Jura and Fort l'Écluse. This natural monitoring point made it a key location for military and territorial control.

The fortress was restored in the 13th century by Rodolphe de Larringes, then mentioned between 1284 and 1289 as Jacquet de Larringes. At the beginning of the 14th century, it passed into the hands of the Counts of Savoy, who gave it in 1334 to Guillaume de Châtillon, vassal Savoyard. The latter rebuilt the castle in 1341, marking a major phase of its architectural evolution. The property then changed hands several times: sold in 1439 to the Allinges family, it remained in their hands until 1843, despite the destruction inflicted by the Bernese in 1536 during the Chablais conflicts.

In 1564, the Treaty of Lausanne allowed Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie to return the Western Chablais and to erect Larringes in baronies for the benefit of Antoine d'Allinges. The castle, which was thoroughly renovated in 1884 (full-bodied, major transformations), was sold in 1858 to farmers and acquired in 1942 by the Marquis Antoine de Pasquier de Franclieu. Damaged during World War II, it was finally restored by the De Stoutz family. Today, this private monument, inaccessible to the visit, preserves a 14th century quadrangular enclosure, flanked by a square dungeon and houses organized around a courtyard.

Architecturally, the castle is characterized by a 23 × 35 meters enclosure, originally fossilized, and a tower dungeon of 8 meters side. Access was protected by a two towered castle, while the interior apartments had carved ceilings. Despite the modifications of the 19th century, the site remains an emblematic example of Savoyard fortified houses, mixing medieval heritage and subsequent adaptations.

Historical sources, including the work of Christian Regat, François Aubert, and Georges Chapier, highlight its strategic importance and role in the feudal dynamics of the region. Archaeological excavations revealed traces of occupation well before its construction, confirming its anchoring in a territory marked by exchanges between Savoie, Leman, and the Alpine valleys.

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