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Origin and history

The Château de Montjoie-le-Château, built in the 4th quarter of the 12th century and in the 13th century, was built by the Glère family, probably under Richard I, on a rocky spur controlling a strategic passage of the Doubs valley. His name, Mons Gaudii ("mountain of joy"), evokes his past role as a place of joy. The site, already occupied in the Neolithic era, became the center of a seigneury and then a barony, marking its political and military importance in the region.

The castle was the scene of several major conflicts. In 1428 he resisted a siege led by Jean de Thierstein, but fell in 1444 under imperial troops, then in 1475 during the wars of Burgundy. Its decline accelerated during the Ten Years' War (1635), when the Marshal of La Force took it after three weeks of siege, reducing it to ruins. The current remains — pentagonal dungeon, Saint George chapel and walls — illustrate this turbulent history.

The chapel, built in the 12th century and spared in 1635, blends Romanesque and Gothic styles. It houses the tomb of Claudine de Montjoie (died 1612) and is distinguished by its smooth capitals and transitional windows. The site, classified in 1934 and registered in 1985, also includes substructures, vaulted cellars and bossed stones, testimonies of its defensive architecture. The ruins extend over 85 acres, surrounded by two successive enclosures.

The rocky spur, overlooking the village and the river, offered a strategic advantage in controlling the narrow passage of the valley. The castle was successively owned by the lords of Glère-Montjoie, then the object of lusts during the Franco-bourguignon wars and the Lorrain conflicts. Its definitive abandonment in the seventeenth century made it a symbol of feudal and military struggles in Franche-Comté.

Today, the site belongs to the commune of Montjoie-le-Château (département du Doubs). Although partially in ruins, there remains a remarkable example of medieval castral architecture, combining residential, religious and defensive functions. Its ranking among historical monuments highlights its heritage and memorial value for the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region.

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