Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montplaisant is a former strong house built in the late 13th or early 14th century on the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Brens, in the department of Isère. Originally designed as a 30-metre defensive quadrilateral, it included a dungeon, ramparts, ditch and drawbridge, reflecting the military tensions between Dauphiné and Savoy. Its origins date back to 1280, when the family of Loras, one of the oldest chivalry houses in the province, built it on the ruins of an earlier castel.

The castle underwent several changes between the 14th and 17th centuries, evolving from austere architecture to a more residential complex. The chapel, dated from the 14th century, houses classified murals, while facades and roofs were listed as historical monuments in 1977. Owned by the Loras for seven centuries, the site dominates the neighbouring territory of Venerio, near Lake Moras, and retains symbolic traces related to the Templars and Order of Malta.

After a period of abandonment by the State, the house was recently renovated to ensure its preservation. The estate includes agricultural outbuildings still in operation, and the castle opens to the public during heritage days or in summer. The archives of the seigneury of Montplaisant, preserved at the Archives départementales du Rhône, testify to its historical importance in the region.

Accessible from Bourgoin-Jallieu by the RD65, the castle is distinguished by its massive talute-based dungeon, probably originally isolated. Its history mixes medieval heritage, transformations Renaissance and discreet traces of religious orders, making it an emblematic site of Dauphin's heritage.

External links