Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Symond Castle, also known as Cymont Fort House, has been attested since the 14th century. Located at Bois Salève in Étrembières, it controlled access to the Pas de l'Échelle, a staircase carved from the Salève rock connecting the plain to Monnetier. In 1304 he belonged to the Villette family, vassale of the Counts of Geneva, and in 1565 he moved to the Marquis de Cluses, Martin du Fresnoy. Acquired in 1722 by Louis de Portes, it was sold in 1743 to the Fléchère, the last lords of the place.

In the 19th century, the castle became the property of the painter François Diday, who gave it in 1847 to the faithful Companions of Jesus, a religious congregation transforming the place into a boarding school for young girls until 1901. During the First World War, he was requisitioned by the Red Cross to treat the wounded, and then housed a preventorium for children of veterans until 1932. The Mutual Protection of Railways acquired in 1934, first welcoming convalescents, then children during the Second World War.

After 1945, SNCF used the castle as a holiday colony and retirement home until its closure in 2003 for non-compliance with safety standards. Rehabilitated in 2003, it now houses luxury apartments. Its history reflects the social and economic changes in the region, moving from military to educational, health and finally residential uses.

The site is indissociable from the Pas de l'Échelle, a historic path that was mentioned in 1320, linking Etrembières to Geneva via Monnetier. This path, taken by peasants, writers like Lamartine, and scientists, symbolizes cross-border exchanges. The castle of Symond, through its strategic position, has thus played a key role in local dynamics, between territorial control and community reception.

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