Thonon Castle en Haute-Savoie

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Key figures

Origin and history

Thonon Castle, built in the 13th century in the medieval village of Thonon-les-Bains, was a strategic citadel for Savoie's house. Located near the borders with Geneva and the Faucigny, he strengthened the defence of Chablais and controlled a secondary axis between France and Italy. Initially a simple strong house with ramparts and ditches, it became the center of a castle in 1288, managed by a chestnut named by the Count.

From the 15th century, under the impulse of the Counts then Dukes of Savoy, the castle was enlarged and embellished, becoming a princely residence. Amédée VIII carried out important works there (1413-1415), made it a place of feasts and diplomacy, and received embassies there. Thonon then became a political capital of the Duchy, a role maintained under Louis I. The future Amédée IX was born there in 1435.

The citadel was destroyed in 1591 during the wars between Savoie and Geneva, allied with Bernois. After its ruin, the site was acquired by the Gerbaix de Sonnaz family, who built a new castle (1666-1668). Today, the site houses the Chablais Museum and the Tourist Office, testifying to its medieval and Savoyard past.

Thonon's chestnut, originally dependent on Allinges, became autonomous in 1570. The Chatelan held judicial and fiscal functions there, while the military defence was entrusted to governors. The castle, symbol of Savoyard power, also reflected regional tensions, notably with Geneva and the Faucigny, before its definitive disappearance.

Excavations and archives reveal an evolutionary building: from the first modest castle (tour, large hall, prison) to the second, more luxurious, with dungeon and crenellated towers. The chestnut accounts describe successive adjustments, such as the arrival of water in 1435 or the repairs of the 14th and 15th centuries, illustrating its adaptation to political and military needs.

Today, although extinct, Thonon Castle remains a major historical marker of Chablais. Its location, overlooking Leman, recalls its strategic role in Savoyard conflicts and its influence on the urban development of Thonon-les-Bains, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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