Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montribloud came into being in the early 14th century, when Humbert V de Thoire-Villars erected a castle on a poype (colline) in Saint-André-de-Corcy, Ain. Originally, this place belonged to Hugues Brun, canon of Lyon, who wanted to found a monastery by will in 1313. Unimplemented, this project gave way to a military fortress, approved by the dolphin of Vienna in 1334 for his dungeon. The site quickly became the heart of a seigneury, then of a barony, before being erected as a county in 1660.

Over the centuries, the castle changed hands and style. The Thoire-Villars, then the La Baume de Montrevel, made it a symbol of power until 1590, when it was sold to the Covet, Brassian drapiers. The latter transform it into a Renaissance residence, with sled windows. In the 18th century, the Lyon treasurer Pierre Nicolau bought it and entrusted to architect Jean-Antoine Morand for a neo-classical reconstruction, including a French garden. Accused of malfeasance, Nicolau fled, and in 1826 the castle passed to the Bodin, Lyon bankers, who gave it its present appearance with slate roofs and English gardens.

The history of Montribloud is also marked by speculation about its origin. Some saw the Mons terrabilis of the battle between Albin and Septime Sévère in 197 AD, while others preferred German etymology (Montribloz, Montriblout). In any case, the castle, now privately owned by the Bodin family, remains closed to the public except during exceptional openings such as Heritage Days between 2005 and 2013. Its brick architecture, typical of the Dombes, bears witness to the stylistic evolutions from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

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