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Origin and history

The Château de Monthoux, built towards the end of the first half of the 13th century, is an ancient castle located on a hill at 567 m above sea level, at the entrance of the Arve valley. It dominates the town of Annemasse and controls the roads leading to Bonneville and Bonneville. Its strategic position, facing Mornex Castle on the other bank, makes it a key point to monitor travel from Geneva, as the historian Alfred Fierro points out in his 1339 work.

The castle is built by Aymon II, Baron of Faucigny, "a short time before 1245", simultaneously to the neighbouring village and the castle of Hermance. It houses a chapel, authorized by papal bubble of Innocent IV, but it becomes a source of tension between the Baron of Faucigny and the Bishop of Geneva. The site then passed to Agnes de Faucigny, then to his daughter Béatrix, future Grande Dauphine, who pawned him in 1269 before giving him in 1293 to Count Amédée V de Savoie.

In the 14th century, the château de Monthoux was at the heart of territorial conflicts, particularly during the construction of the château de Gaillard in 1304, contested by Hugues de Faucigny. A transaction in 1304 imposed mutual protection between Monthoux and Gaillard. In 1308, the peace treaty between the Grande Dauphine Béatrice and the Count of Savoie included Monthoux among the castles ceded, with their orders and courts. The site remains a strategic issue until its sale in 1532 by Michel de Viry to Michel Guillet.

Architecturally, the castle includes an imposing dungeon (estimated at 29 m side), a wall, a village below and a church, all surrounded by a enclosure. The retable of St. Peter of Konrad Witz (1444) offers a performance. In the 14th century, the châtellenie de Monthoux, organized around the castle, brought together the parishes of Monthoux, Annemasse, Ambilly, Sales and Vétraz. Shawls, officers appointed to manage the estate, collect tax revenues and maintain the fortification.

Between 1536 and 1567, the northern Duchy of Savoy was occupied by the Bernese. After this period, the Châtelaines de Monthoux lost their military role to captains or governors, retaining only judicial functions. The castle, symbol of seigneurial power in the Faucigny, illustrates the political and territorial dynamics of the 13th to 16th century region.

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