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Origin and history

The Chaffard Tower is an old tower on a motte built in the 14th century, located in the municipality of Cruet, Savoie (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). It was the centre of the Chaffard seigneury and was part of a defensive complex including the castles of Verdun, the Rive and the strong house of Chanay. Its name, derived from the Latin catafaldum (chaffal), evokes a wooden scaffolding used as fortification.

The tower was closely linked to the Verdun Castle above, sharing the same owners throughout the centuries. Originally owned by the families of Miolans, Verdon and Chignin, she passed in 1657 to Count Centorio Gagnoli, husband of Barbe de Tignac, daughter of a captain of Montmelian. Gagnoli, governor of the castles of Montmelian, Charbonnières and Miolans, then handed over the seigneury to his descendants.

In 1730, the tower belonged to the Marquis Charles-Emmanuel Cagnol de La Chambre, heir to Centorio Gagnoli by his grandmother Christine de Cagnol. The family of La Chambre kept the site until at least 1933. The tower, now in ruins, stands on an artificial mound of 15 to 20 meters radius, with vestiges such as a geminied window and a mulched 16th century chimney.

Architecturally, the tower illustrates medieval Savoyard fortifications, combining seigneurial residence and defensive role. Its strategic location, above the hamlet of Masdoux in Savoy, strengthened the control of the territory. The sources mention its importance in the local castral network, alongside other buildings such as the Castle of Verdun.

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