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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of the Court, attested in the 15th century, stands on the town of Annecy-le-Vieux in Haute-Savoie. Initially a strong house, it belongs from 1419 to the branch La Balme of the family of Menthon, which makes it its principal residence. The first written records date from an act of infeodation to the Count of Savoy, kept in the archives of the castle until the eighteenth century. The site, probably older, dominates Lake Annecy and is surrounded by a park.

From the 15th to the 18th century, the Menthon-La Balme gradually transformed the fortress into a seigneurial home. Jacques de Menthon (early 15th century) and his son Amédée (tested 1457) resided there. In the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste de Menthon (1651–1722) modernized the castle: restoration of towers, creation of a French-style garden, orangery and fountain. An inventory of 1722 reveals luxurious furniture (tapisseries, mirrors, weapons) and a chapel dedicated to Saint Bernard de Menthon.

The Revolution marked a turning point: the last heir Menthon, Paul, emigrated and died in 1793. His mother, who remained at the castle, protected refractory priests. In the 19th century, the estate passed to Livet by marriage and was sold in 1898 to the Baron of Machard. In the 20th century, the family of Guigné added neo-medieval elements (square tower, scallops) and saw Anne de Guigné born there (1911–1922), declared venerable by the Church.

Architecturally, the castle is organized around an inner courtyard accessible by an east porch. The south house body, flanked by a square tower to the west, opens onto a terrace overlooking the lake. The transformations of the 19th to 20th centuries (central forebody, four-paned roof) altered its original appearance, while retaining elements of the 18th century, such as the elegant facade designed by Jean-Baptiste de Menthon.

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