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Origin and history

The mansion of the Rigaudière is a strong house built between the 15th and 16th centuries in Jassans-Riottier, Ain. Located on the edge of Saône, at the foot of the castral motte of Riottier, it gradually replaces a medieval castle abandoned after its return to the archbishop of Lyon in 1445. The site, initially occupied by a fortress in poor condition, sees its inhabitants taking refuge near the river, forming the hamlet of Riottier.

At the end of the 16th century, the fief belonged to Martin de Couvet, Baron de Montribloud, and was then passed on to his family until the middle of the 17th century. In 1572 the church of Lyon sold the seigneury to David de Cleberg, son of the Lyon banker Jean Kleberger, said the good German. The latter, close to François I and founder of the charity of Lyon, would have supervised the construction of the main body of the mansion before his death in 1592.

The mansion, composed of several houses organized in L around a closed courtyard, incorporates defensive elements such as a square archery tower and a vaulted porch. Its facades combine stone and stone, with wooden galleries and screw stairs. In the 18th century, the property passed to Hubert de Saint-Didier (1777), then was cadastralized in 1823 as a house with garden and outbuildings. Changes took place in the 19th century, including the addition of an exterior staircase incorporating a Gothic reamp from the former Saint Denis chapel, destroyed in 1854.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1996, the mansion retains traces of its evolution: vaulted cellar, stone chimneys, and remains of the communes disappeared after 1978. Its history reflects the transitions between military office, seigneurial residence and private property, marked by influential families such as the Couvet or the Kleberger.

The strategic location of the site, between Saône and castral motte, illustrates the adaptation of fortified habitats after medieval conflicts. The abandonment of the original castle in favour of a stronger, more accessible house reflects the socio-economic changes in the region, where the lords prefer the comfort and proximity of the river axes.

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