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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Quincivet castle, located in Saint-Vérand in the department of Isère (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is a building built in the late Middle Ages, probably in the 15th century. It presents itself as an imposing house strong in pebble masonry, covered with a roof in canal tiles, characteristic of the Dauphiné. Its facades, pierced with finely ground mantle windows, and its spiral staircase connecting two superimposed rooms, testify to its well preserved medieval architecture.

As of 1415, the castle belonged to the La Porte de L'Arthaudière family, which had inherited it from the Bressieux, who held one of the four Baronies of the Dauphiné. He remained their property until the French Revolution. Between 1789 and 1794, an ephemeral commune even bore the name of Quicinet before being attached to Saint-Vérand. In 1980, its facades, roofs, spiral staircase and monumental fireplace were listed as historical monuments.

The castle benefited from a major restoration in the 1970s, preserving its original elements such as monumental chimneys and carved caps. Although generally closed to the public, it exceptionally opened its doors at Heritage Days in 2018, offering commented tours. Its access is facilitated by the proximity of the departmental road 518 and the Saint-Marcellin station, served by the TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The topography of the site places the castle along the road of Quincivet, between Saint-Marcellin and Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, in a rural area marked by the feudal history of the Dauphiné. Its architecture, combining defensive robustness and residential elegance, reflects the social status of its owners, influential barons from the region until the end of the Old Regime.

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