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Origin and history

The castral motte of Saint-Jean-de-Thurigneux, also called Poype de Ligneux, is a fortification of land erected in the 12th century. Cited in 1180, it stands on an artificially raised site in the heart of the Dombes plateau, 1.5 km from the road to Rancé. This monument, typical of medieval military architecture, was initially surrounded by brick walls and surmounted by an octagonal tower, now missing. Only the 11-metre-high truncated terrace, its water ditches, and an elliptical bassyard of 100x200 metres, protected by ramparts of earth remain.

The history of the site is marked by changes of influential owners. In the 12th century, Adalard de Villars, knight, was the lord before Ulric de Villars gave it in 1186 to the Abbey of Barbe Island. The castellam cum burgo (castle with village) remained under monastic control until 1665, when it was exchanged for Pollet's fief in Camille de Neufville de Villeroy, archbishop of Lyon. The site, associated with a priory, resisted in 1460 the troops of Amédée VIII of Savoy, but declined from the 15th century, abandoned by its inhabitants and monks.

In the 17th century, the moth still retains remains of a pentagonal brick manor, probably built on the foundations of ancient structures. Excavations of the 20th century revealed these remains, as well as a complex defensive system: a widening ditch separated the terre from the lower courtyard, which was itself surrounded by ramparts. Ranked a historic monument in 1989, the Poype de Ligneux illustrates the evolution of earth fortifications in Dombes, moving from a strategic role to a gradual abandonment.

The site, little transformed since its creation, offers a rare example of preserved castral motte. Its 36-metre-diameter ground at the base and water ditches reflect medieval defence techniques. The low-yard, raised and elliptical, is evidence of a spatial organisation designed to house a community (inhabitants, monks, or soldiers). The permanent abandonment of the site coincides with the loss of its military and religious utility, marking the end of its central role in Dombes' chestnutry.

Historical sources, such as the work of Marie-Claude Guigue (1873) or the archaeological reports of the 1980s, underline its regional importance. The motte is now protected for its heritage value, offering a tangible overview of the Middle Ages in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its inscription in historical monuments in 1989 consecrated its preservation as a key vestige of local feudal history.

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