Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Pymont Castle, built in the middle of the 13th century by the Vienna family, was first mentioned in 1237 (or 1256 according to the sources). Located on a hill overlooking Lons-le-Saunier 100 metres, it covered 5,000 m2, including 2,800 m2 protected by a rampart. Its construction mobilized a large local labour force (stone tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths), financed by the Vienna, a powerful family of the region. An agreement of 1253 between the Vienna and Chalon prohibits the construction of new castles in the Val de Lons, stressing its exorbitant cost.

In the 14th century, the castle changed hands several times. In 1364, a horn alert system was established between Pymont, Montaigu and Lons-le-Saunier to guard against attacks. In 1369, Marguerite de Vienne, lady of Pymont, gave him to Hugues II de Chalon-Arlay, his brother-in-law. The castle was briefly taken in 1361 by the Big Companies under Jacques Huet, before being taken over. In 1385 Hugues II donated it to his half-brother Jean Basard de Chalon. The black plague struck the site in 1349, and Philip II of Vienna was excommunicated there in 1340 for counterfeit currency.

The castle consisted of a dungeon in the north, protected by a shirt (second enclosure) and accessible by a drawbridge, and a bassyard in the south, sheltering garrison and refugees. A 24 m3 tank provided water. The floors were decorated with varnished terracotta tiles, some forming two-coloured roses. Local crafts included metallurgy (iron, copper, lead) and tabletry (bones, deer wood), with recycled objects in dice or tool sleeves. The food was based on breeding (pork, beef, lamb), hunting (cerf, wild boar) and fishing (carp, perch), supplemented by wine-growing activities on the outskirts.

Gradually abandoned, the castle was sold several times between the 15th and 19th centuries, before becoming a private property. Its ruins, not visible and not accessible to the public, were classified as Historic Monument in 1994. Today they bear witness to a major archaeological site of the lower Middle Ages, illustrating the seigneurial life, crafts and defensive systems of the period.

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