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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The high house of Ornex, also known as the Tower of Ornex, is a strong house built between 1415 and 1450 by the family of Sergier (or Sergy), vidomnes of Prévessin and residing in Ornex. This modest building, without a defensive system, organizes around a central tower with a quasi-square section, sometimes described as pentagonal due to an elbow on its southeast face. Originally, the ground floor housed a kitchen with a water stone (typical reservoir of Geneva's rural habitat), while the floor, accessible by a spiral staircase, housed a reception room with carved beams and box ceilings.

Later on, the tower became the heart of a small hamlet. During World War II, it was occasionally used as a prison by Germans occupying the Land of Gex. In 2011, the notary Maxime Grenier and his wife acquired the property and undertook a major restoration, supervised by the Architects des Bâtiments de France. The work, including the façade and roof (completed in February 2018), has preserved original elements such as the 15th century toothed brick frieze or the stone frames of the bays.

Ranked a historic monument in March 2014, the Ornex Tower is distinguished by its medieval civil architecture, mixing local influences (Genevoise water stone) and rare decorative details for a strong house. Its location near the Gex-Geneva axis, although discreet, highlights its historic role in the rural landscape of the Country of Gex. Today, the site remains a testimony of the seigneurial and judicial dynamics of the region between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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