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Origin and history

The castle of St Andrew, built in the 13th century in Briord (Ain), was the heart of a seigneury and then of a marquisat. Its origins date back to the Briord family, mentioned in the 11th century with members like Girard, crossed in 1112, and its descendants who retained possession until 1257. The site, strategic on a rock, became an issue between the Count of Savoie and the dolphin of Vienna, the latter definitively annexing to his estate in 1343 before yielding it to the crown of France.

In 1355 King John handed him over to the Savoy, who infeoda in 1385 to Guy de Groslée, squire and knight. The seigneury passed by successive alliances to the families of Viry, Rivoire, and Montbel d-Entremont. In 1572 Jacqueline de Montbel, widow of Admiral de Coligny murdered during the Saint Barthélemy, took refuge and gave birth to their daughter Beatrix, heiress of the estate. The castle, erected as a marquisat in 1589, was finally sold in 1696 to the Marquis d'Haraucourt, whose descendants were still owners during the Revolution.

The present ruins date back to the end of the 16th century, when Biron's troops destroyed it during the conquest of the Bresse and Bugey. Only remnants classified for their Merovingian inscriptions have remained since 1862, witnesses to its historical importance. The site, accessible by a road from the 79a departmental road, overlooks the town and offers a panorama of the surroundings, recalling its defensive and seigneurial role for centuries.

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