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Origin and history

The castle of Sallanches, also known as the castle of Cordon or Bourbonge, was a castle probably prior to the 13th century, dominating the town of Sallanches. Located at 670 m above sea level on a hill between the torrents of the Frasse and the Sallanche, it originally belonged to the Sires of Faucigny, lords of the Arve valley. Its strategic location, out of the city walls, made it a key checkpoint for the region.

Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the castle was the center of a chestnutry covering Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon, Domancy and Magland. He changed hands several times: fortified by Pierre de Savoie before 1263, he passed to the lords of Gex, then in 1339 to the Dauphins of Vienna. In 1355 he joined Savoie's house at the meeting of Faucigny in that county. After 1360, faced with a period of peace, the chestnuts abandoned him to settle in the village of Sallanches.

The castle was sold in 1360 to Humbert de la Porte, then given in fief in 1426 to Pierre de Menthon. From 1457 he took the name Bourbonge, associated with a younger branch of the Menthon, who retained rights until 1746. Ruined, it was partly divided into condominiums. The excavations of the archaeologist Louis Blondel and the chestnut accounts reveal a complex organization: 21 m square dungeon, low court with church Notre-Dame-du-Château, and watch tower overlooking the ravine.

The châtellenie de Sallanches, originally called land of Gex en Faucigny, played a major administrative and judicial role. It had 29 fortified houses and 4 fortified houses under the Delphinal period (1342-1343). After joining Savoy County, its seat was transferred to the city of Sallanches, marking the gradual decline of the castle.

Today, there remain only ruins, including an excavated tower and remains embedded in farms. The toponym of the Castle perpetuates its memory. Blondel's research and archives (such as the Sardinian Mappe of 1728-1738) helped to reconstruct his plan: a partly wooden enclosure, a prison, stables, and a chapel transformed into a farm. The site illustrates the evolution of medieval fortifications in Savoy.

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