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Origin and history

The fortified house of Veyrie, also known as Château de La Veyrie, is a medieval building from the 11th century, profoundly transformed in the 20th century. Originally built as a strong house, it was renovated as a bourgeois residence and then as a restaurant. The site, labeled "Heritage in Isère" in 2015, is distinguished by its slender turret added in the 1920s and an original square tower surrounded by thick walls. It offers stunning views of the Belledonne Range and dominates the Isère Valley from a terrace protected by steep slopes.

The estate was the cradle of the Bernin family, of which John of Bernin, archbishop of Vienna and legate of the Pope, was the most illustrious member. After the Revolution, the property passed into the hands of peasant families and was acquired in 1918 by Charles Albert Keller for his secretary, Maria Moulin. Keller turned her into a bourgeois residence. Abandoned and looted, the municipality of Bernin bought the site in 1995 to restore it. Today, it hosts exhibitions and a restaurant.

In 2018, the castle hosted an exhibition combining antique furniture, silkscreen prints by Ernest Pignon-Ernest and Niki de Saint Phalle, as well as works by emerging artists. The 40-metre-deep well and the tank fed by a bottom spring are evidence of historic hydraulic developments. The site, accessible from highways A41 and RD1090, remains a major cultural and gastronomic place in the region.

Architecturally, the original strong house is reduced to a square tower and an adjoining building body, marked by a molded window. The turret, added by Keller, serves as a private water castle. The estate, located west of the village of Bernin, is served by two motorway ramps (exit 24.1 and 25), facilitating its access despite its geographical isolation.

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