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Origin and history

The castle of La Brig, or Lascaris castle, is a medieval building built between 1376 and 1379 by a younger branch of the Lascaris family, itself from the Counts of Vintimille. This family, which controlled the valleys of the Roya, the Bera and the Nervia, had received these lands after the end of the Saracen occupation. The castle was erected to assert their local power, in a context of rivalries with Genoa and Provence.

The region of La Brig was long disputed between the Counts of Vintimille, the Republic of Genoa and the Counts of Provence. In 1258 Guillaume II de Vintimille gave his rights over La Brig to the Count of Provence Charles I, but the Lascaris family retained effective control of the territory. The marriage of Guillaume-Pierre I of Vintimille with Eudoxie Lascaris in 1261 marked the beginning of this lineage, which split into two branches in the 14th century: Tende and La Brig.

The castle played a strategic role in regional conflicts. In 1388, the Count of Savoie Amédée VII promised to fight against the brigandage of the lords of La Brig, who hindered communication between Nice and Piedmont. In 1406, the coseigneurs of La Brig, Jean, Pierre and Rainier Lascaris paid tribute to the Count of Savoie Amédée VIII, marking their allegiance. The castle was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1564, then burned by French troops in 1794 during the Revolution.

After centuries of abandonment, the town hall of La Brig and the Association Patrimoine et Traditions Brigasques began work on clearing and consolidating. These efforts enabled significant remains to be discovered, including a sketch of the castle dated 1656, found in Savoyard archives. The castle has been listed as historical monuments since 1949.

The archaeological excavations carried out in the early 2000s, under the direction of F. Blanc, helped to study the architectural evolution of the castle. Sources include changes made in the 16th century, such as the addition of bastions to the corners of the house body in 1543. This work reflects the necessary military adaptations to the conflicts of the time, in particular the tensions with Genoa.

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