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Origin and history

The tower of Maugny, also called Maugny's stronghold or The Castle, was the heart of the seigneury of Thollon-Allaman, dependent on the seigneury of Allinges-Old. Located in the centre of Thollon-les-Mémises (Haute-Savoie), it overlooks the hamlet of Nouy, built on a probably artificial motte. Its history is marked by successive transmissions between noble families, reflecting local feudal dynamics.

In the 13th century, the seigneury of Thollon belonged to Compeys, whose jurisdiction was vested in the knight Girard de Compey (excluding capital punishments). At his death, his possessions were divided among his daughters: Perussonne, who sold them to Guillaume de Chatillon, and Jacquette, married to Aymon de Neuvecelle. Their son John inherited it in 1398, marking the beginning of a long line of seigneurs de Neuvecelle linked to the tower.

The Neuvelle dominated the seigneury for centuries. In 1412, Pierre de Neuvecelle, the eldest son of John, was mentioned in the "house of Maugny". The property was fragmented between his descendants: Jean, Henri and Nicod declared to hold the "house-forte, place, ditches" in 1462 and 1469. By alliances and sales, the tower changed hands: in 1499 André de Chignon owned a share, and in 1552 François de Neuvecelle sold it to Louis du Nant dit de Russin.

In the 17th century, the tower passed to the Dunant: Hildebrand, then his brother Francis, held it until 1614. Represented on the Sardinian Mappe of 1731, it was probably destroyed in the early 19th century for its stones, reused in the reconstruction of the parish church. Today, only the square base of the tower remains.

The Maugny Tower illustrates Savoyard feudal history, where the fortified houses served as administrative and defensive centers for local seigneuries. Its decline reflects the social and architectural transformations of the 18th and 19th centuries, marked by the gradual disappearance of medieval structures in favour of modern constructions.

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