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Origin and history

Compey-Lucinge's fort house, originally called Compey Castle and then Lucinge Castle, is a 14th century medieval building, deeply transformed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Located on the town of Féternes (Haute-Savoie), it stands in the heart of the village of Châteauvieux, facing the old church, and played a strategic role in defending the eastern entrance of this fortified village. Its architecture combines an irregular rectangular plan and several towers (one square, the other round), organised around a central courtyard according to a U-shaped scheme.

The history of the castle is linked to Compey's family, which acquired part of the seigneury of Fternes in 1325. Jean de Compey, grandson of Pierre, was invested in seigneurial rights in 1346 after marrying Léone de Féternes. His descendant, Jean de Compey (great-grandson), became a chastelain of Évian-Féternes in 1459 and squire of Duke Louis I of Savoy in 1465, confirming the local power of the lineage. In 1492 his sons Louis and Antoine recognized family property. The monument was rebuilt several times and suffered a devastating fire in 1930.

The site illustrates Savoyard military architecture of the late Middle Ages, marked by successive adaptations to defensive and residential needs. The buildings, modified in the 15th and 16th centuries, reflect this evolution. Although partially destroyed, the castle remains a testimony of the seigneurial dynamics and local conflicts in Chablais, a border region between the Duchy of Savoie and present-day Switzerland.

Historical sources, such as the works of Laurent d-Agostino or Amédée de Foras, underline its importance in the castral network of Haute-Savoie. The castle is also cited in specialized works on Savoyard Armorial and Geneva fortifications, confirming its status as an emblematic monument of the region.

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