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Origin and history

The castle of Vens is an old fortified house built in the 14th century, then profoundly redesigned in the 17th century. Located on the right bank of the Fier, 100 meters above the confluence with the Rhône (hamlet of Vens, commune of Seyssel), it formed with the Châteaufort castle a strategic lock controlling access to the Val de Fier. This dominant site, now in Haute-Savoie, was a key point in the exchanges between Savoie and France, as evidenced by its partially preserved medieval walls.

Originally owned by the Gerbaix family (or Gerbais) in the 14th century, the castle then passed into the hands of the Coursons and then the Almody. In 1601, the Treaty of Lyon attached him to France, where he served as a bridgehead on the left bank of the Rhône, with a garrison of 25 men led by Marthod d'Ugines after an attempt to climb. The site returned to Savoy in 1760 via the Treaty of Turin, which established the border in the middle of the Rhône.

In the 18th century, the castle belonged to the families of Mareste (who built a chapel there in 1718) and Montagnier, the latter emigrating during the Revolution. In the 19th century, the heirs of the Iseux family (Flemish nobles) undertook a romantic renovation still visible today. Since 1926, he has been detained by the Espinasse and Bertrand families, without interruption.

Medieval remains are limited to walls, buttresses and murders, the rest dating from the 17th and 19th century reshuffles. The castle thus embodies almost seven centuries of Savoyard and Franco-Savoyard history, between military defense, local seigneury and noble residence.

Its geographical position, facing the Rhône and the Val de Fier, made it a recurring territorial issue. The architectural transformations (chapel, romantic style) reflect the evolution of its use, from the fortress to the seigneurial home, then to the private property preserved until today.

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