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Origin and history

The Château-Vieux d'Allinges, built in the 4th quarter of the 10th century, is a former castle located in Chablais, on the town of Allinges (Haute-Savoie). It occupied, with the Château-Neuf 150 meters away, the "butte des châteaux", a hill culminating at 712 meters. This strategic site dominated the village of Allinges and offered stunning views of Thonon-les-Bains and Lake Geneva. The two fortresses, separated by a ditched pass, were accessible by hiking trails or from their respective ruins.

The castle finds its origins in a burgund fortification of the 6th century, restored in the 10th century by King Rodolphe II of Burgundy, who simultaneously erected the Château Neuf. Originally owned by the Allinges family, he passed into the hands of the lords of Faucigny at the end of the 12th century, becoming the seat of a senate floor. In the 13th century, Pierre II de Savoie, by his marriage with Agnes de Faucigny, brought together the two castles. However, the rivalry between Savoy and the Vienna dolphins (1268–155) plunged the garrisons into a permanent conflict, marked by repeated seats (1291, 1292, 1302, 1305).

The Treaty of Paris (1355) ended the hostilities by integrating the Faucigny with the Savoy, sealing the gradual abandonment of the Château-Vieux. Deserted at the end of the 14th century, its inhabitants migrated to the plain. The site was briefly occupied by the Bernese (1536–67), then dismantled in 1703 by Victor-Amédée II to avoid a French take. In 1832, the ruins were acquired by the bishop of Annecy, Pierre-Joseph Rey. Ranked Historic Monument in 2011, the site preserves the remains of a quadrangular dungeon (XI–XII centuries), a castral enclosure, a castral settlement and a chapel.

Architecturally, the Château-Vieux is distinguished by its 25 metres (18 × 20.50 m) dungeon, with thick walls of 3 to 4 meters, reinforced with foothills. The upper enclosure, partly Romanesque, was protected by turrets and a low enclosure of the 13th–14th centuries, accessible via a porter redone in the 14th century. The castral village, surrounded by walls, housed rectangular houses in local sandstone, with workshops on the ground floor and wooden floors. Nearby quarries provided materials, including mill wheels.

Centre d ́une châtellenie (1268–155), the castle administered several parishes (Allinges, Lyaud, Armoy, etc.). His known dolphins include Humbert de Lucinge (1289), Thomas de Compey (1315–1319), and Nicolas de Fernay (1343). After its abandonment, the site served as a stone quarry before being protected for its medieval heritage. Archaeological excavations revealed troglodytic developments and traces of craftsmanship, testifying to daily life in this fortified complex.

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