Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Passage Castle is a 17th-century pleasure building built around a 15th-century house in the Isère department. It is distinguished by its symmetrical architecture, its imposing roof (11 meters high) and its pleasant ditches. The facades, roofs, as well as interior elements such as the billiard room and chapel, have been protected since 1972 as historical monuments.

Originally, the Clermont family erected a strong house on this site in 1342, with remains in the right wing. In 1650, after a trial with Louis XI, the family of Poizieu acquired the estate and built the present castle. In the 18th century, Joseph Gallien de Chabons, an adviser to the Parliament of Grenoble, added an honour staircase, woodwork and a chapel with three marble altars.

During the Revolution, the castle closed and its furniture was dispersed. In 1818, General Quiot bought it and modernized it, adding trompe-l'oeil military decorations and a billiard room of 100 m2. Since 1853, the family of Saint-Romain has owned it. Today, the ground floor is open to visitors, offering a testimony of the architectural and decorative transformations of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The park of four hectares and the gardens complete this whole, reflecting the evolution of aristocratic tastes. The eastern facade, with a rigorous geometry, has 21 windows and an 18th century polychrome pediment. The classified items also include two lounges and a south wing bedroom, illustrating the fascist of Dauphinian residences.

The castle thus embodies nearly six centuries of history, mixing medieval heritage, classical embellishments and 19th century adaptations. Its partial registration and classification in 1972 underline its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its preserved interior decorations.

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