Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Tourvéon, originally called the Tourvéonnière, is located on the heights of Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, in the Métropole de Lyon. Dominating the Saône Valley, its strategic location reflects its local historic significance. The site was originally linked to a family of Italian spice merchants, influential in Lyon between 1397 and 1517, who held key positions such as that of municipal councillor. Guillaume de Tourvéon, a member of this lineage, was an obeier of Saint-Just and a lieutenant on the senate floor in 1555, while Jacques de Tourvéon marked the history of the estate by setting up a tower and a pool fed by a natural source.

The first castle was erected around 1585 by Néry de Tourvéon, who consolidated the estate by acquiring plots to bring the water there. The family died in 1671, and the fief passed into several hands: the Borghese, then J. Croppet, lord of Saint-Romain, who bought it in 1713. In the 18th century, the Murards became owners and razed the old castle to build the current building in 1854, while developing a park designed by landscape architect Luizet. The estate, marked by its link with water (symbolized by the Aquaria gate), was even considered a thalassotherapy center.

In the 20th century, the castle belonged to the Jarrosson family (1910–1954). A notable episode took place during the Second World War: Marshal Pétain spent the night of June 5-6, 1944, after a visit to the wounded at Grange Blanche Hospital in Lyon. Today, the estate of 25 hectares and the castle, not open to the public, bear witness to an architectural and historical heritage, intimately linked to the water and the history of Lyon.

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