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Origin and history

The Château de Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or is a former castle founded in the 3rd quarter of the 12th century and rebuilt around 1210. It stands in the commune of Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or, in the metropolis of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Originally, it was surrounded by a crenellated quadrangular enclosure flanked by towers, of which today only the square dungeon, 21 meters high (reduced by 6 meters in the 17th century to avoid its collapse). The castral chapel became the parish church of the village.

The history of the castle is marked by Lyon ecclesiastical figures. Girin de Rosset, sénéchal of the Church of Lyon, initiates its construction, completed by Dalmace Morel, then rebuilt by Archbishop Renaud II of Forez in 1210. Until the Revolution, the castle was managed by a captain-châtelain representing the chapter of Lyon. In 1305, Pope Clement V stayed there, and in 1367, the chestnut Peter Arlod of the Hall received 200 florins of gold. The castle also served as a refuge for the inhabitants of Saint-Didier until 1381 in exchange for their participation in the guets.

The monument suffered major damage in 1422, when it was looted and burned by the English and Bourguignons. In the 18th century, the last mansionary lord was the canon of Pingon (1753-1790). The tower, the only significant vestige, was listed as historical monuments by decree of 18 February 1926. Today, it belongs to the commune and still dominates the local landscape.

The remains of the castle illustrate its strategic and religious role in the Lyon region. Originally conceived as a defensive fortress, it became a symbol of Lyon's archiepiscopal power. Its dungeon, although partially dismantled, remains a major architectural testimony of the medieval era, while its chapel, transformed into a parish church, perpetuates its link with the local community.

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