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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Pierrecharve, also known as Pierre-Charve ("bald stone"), is a former 13th century fortress located in the commune of Mûres, Haute-Savoie. Installed on a 40-metre-high molass rock, it controlled the passage of the Cheran torrent via a demountable wooden bridge along the old road between Alby and Mûres. This castle was part of a network of seven fortresses (with Châteauvieux, Le Donjon, Montconon, Montdésir, Montvuagnard and Montpon) to defend Alby and monitor local communication routes.

Mentioned for the first time in 1297, the castle changed hands several times over the centuries. In 1353, Guillaume Paradin, then owner, handed him over to Jean de Genève, seigneur of Alby. La Rochette's family then inherited it until 1550, followed by Montfalcon, then Montvuagnard from 1558. In the 17th century he passed to Beaufort, before being sold in 1653 to François Melchior de Montvuagnard. After several transactions, it was acquired in 1788 by Vicar Philibert Simond, guillotined in 1794 during the Revolution.

In the 19th century, the site became a stone quarry, and the dungeon was partially destroyed. The tower, 17 meters high, served as an agricultural warehouse before being abandoned in the 20th century. Since 2007, the association Les Compagnons du Château de Pierrecharve has been trying to rehabilitate the site, although collapses (like the roof one between 2015 and 2017) have complicated the projects. Today, there is only one rectangular tower in ruins, marked by 16th century sill windows and an ogival door.

Architecturally, the castle was described in 1927 as an imposing tower in mulloons, laid on a sandstone monolith. Its four-compartment windows and its Romanesque door modified into an ogival arch testify to its transformations over time. The site, inhabited until the 1960s, illustrates the evolution of Savoyard fortified houses, between defensive role and progressive decline.

Historically, Pierrecharve reflects the seigneurial dynamics of the medieval and modern Savoy. Its defensive system, linked to that of Alby, shows the strategic importance of the Alpine valleys. The noble families that succeeded in it (Paradin, Geneva, La Rochette, Montfalcon) embodied the alliances and legacies that structured local power. Its abandonment in the 19th century and its recent re-appropriation underline the challenges of preserving rural heritage.

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