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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Fléchères, located in Fareins in the Ain, is built between 1610 and 1616 by Jean de Sève, receiver of Lyon's finances, on the site of an ancient medieval strong house defending a ford on the Saône. This ambitious project, carried out in a single campaign, incorporates defensive elements such as deep moats and a drawbridge, while adopting a baroque residential style. The castle secretly houses a Protestant temple on the second floor, authorized by the high justice status of the seigneury, reflecting the Calvinist convictions of its sponsor.

The interior frescoes, painted between 1632 and 1633 by Pietro Ricchi for Mathieu de Sève, son of Jean, represent mythological scenes, huntings and Protestant allegories, such as the room of the Parade evoking the entrance of Henri IV in Lyon. Covered over the centuries, these works were restored at the end of the twentieth century, revealing a unique testimony of Lyon baroque art and reformed symbols. The castle, passed into the hands of families like the Pupil de Craponne or the Artaud de la Ferriere, escaped revolutionary destruction despite a fire in 1793.

In the 19th century, a landscaped park was built (1820), marking the last major transformation of the estate. In the 20th century, the castle went through a turbulent period: bought in 1972 by Johanny Chavel, a Lyon villain, it was the scene of a memorable celebration before being threatened with destruction in the 1980s. Saved by an ex officio ranking in 1983, it was restored between 1998 and 2003 by Marc Simonet-Lenglart and Pierre-Albert Almendros. Since then, the castle, open to the public, has also served as a setting for films such as Les Lyonnais (2010) or Madame de Sévigné (2023).

The architecture of the castle mixes medieval heritage (angle towers, moats) and 17th century innovations, such as the main house with three bodies flanked by towers, or the castral chapel visited in 1654 by the archbishop of Lyon. The communes, the stone bridge and the terraced gardens complete a listed historical monument in 1985, while the farm and park have been registered since 2001. The hydraulic system and traces of the old French-style gardens bear witness to its history.

The castle of Flécheres is also distinguished by its Protestant history: the hidden temple, accessible from the house, was a discreet place of worship under the Old Regime. The frescoes of Ricchi, such as the Works of Hercules (allegory of Henry IV protector of Protestants), or the chimney carved of theologal virtues, underline this religious dimension. Today, the estate combines cultural tours, film shoots and memory of a military, residential and spiritual heritage.

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