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Origin and history

The castle of Varax, located in Saint-Paul-de-Varax in the Ain, is an ancient castle whose origins date back to the 14th–15th centuries. It was erected on a 13th century castral mot, surrounded by a bassyard, in the middle of the ponds of the Dombes. This strategic site served as a centre for the seigneury of Varax, which later became a county under the suzerainety of the Counts of Savoie. The current remains include two square wings and 14th century quadrangular towers, which bear witness to its defensive past.

Over the centuries, the castle changed hands several times, passing from the lords of Varax to the family of La Palud, then to the Rye-La Palud. In 1593, he was destroyed and dismantled by Biron's troops during the Wars of Religion, reducing the town to ruins. In the 17th century, after royal confiscations, it became the property of the Perrachon, then the Riverieulx. The latter, including Jean-Claude de Rivérieulx, the last seigneur, were victims of revolutionary looting in 1794.

The castle experienced major changes after its destruction, especially in the 18th century. In 1981, its facades, roofs and a spiral staircase were listed as historical monuments. Today, it bears witness to a turbulent history, marked by conflicts between Savoie, Burgundy and France, as well as its central role in the local seigneury. The castral mound and the remains of the medieval enclosure recall its strategic importance in the region.

Architecturally, the castle combines medieval defensive elements (tours, ditches, drawbridge) and subsequent transformations. Its initial plane consisted of five towers connected by courtines, of which only fragments remain. The communes and the agricultural buildings, aligned with the former lower yard, keep traces of the original enclosure. The site, although partly in ruins, offers an overview of the evolution of fortifications between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The seigneury of Varax, erected in 1460 by Duke Louis de Savoie, was a political and territorial issue. Marriage alliances, such as Gilberte de Varax's with Hugues de La Palud, illustrate its integration into regional nobility networks. The confiscation by Louis XIII in the 17th century marked its definitive attachment to the French royal domain, before its acquisition by bourgeois families such as the Perrachon or the Rivérieulx.

Today, the castle of Varax, although private, remains a major testimony of the castral heritage of the Ain. Its partial inscription in historical monuments protects its most remarkable elements, while highlighting its fragile state of conservation. The excavations and archaeological studies revealed previous occupations, including Gallo-Roman, confirming the strategic seniority of this domino site.

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