The Château de Fallavier is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the
Isère
Isère ( , ; frp, Isera; oc, Isèra, ) is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.[département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...]
'' of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
History
The castle dates back at least to 1250. It was enlarged and reinforced in the 13th century by the counts of
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
, but was gradually forsaken and lay in ruins by the 17th century. Since 1970, under the direction of its last owner Gabriel Mérard, a group of volunteers have worked to restore the castle. Since 1992, the castle has belonged to the ''
commune'' of
Saint-Quentin-Fallavier
Saint-Quentin-Fallavier is a commune in the Isère department, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in southeastern France.
Geography
Saint-Quentin Fallavier is located in Isère, at the boundary of the department of Rhône, along the A43 o ...
.
Architecture
The castle is built on the hill of
Relong (altitude: 344 m) and dominates the scenery. A ditch (no longer present) and the outer enclosing wall (relatively well-preserved) delimit an area of 15,000 square metres. A second enclosure surrounds the buildings of the castle itself, placed against the northern wall of the outer enclosure. The circular
keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
of 32 metres (only 25 metres survive to the present day) is placed in an angle to the east of the inner enclosure, and is isolated from the castle itself by a wall. A narrow staircase is dug in the wall of the keep in order to reach the top, from where one obtains a panoramic view of surrounding country. The ruined buildings around the castle are still impressive: of particular note are the chapel windows on the northern side.
See also
*
List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Region and Department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are properly called palaces, mansions or vine ...
External links
The Château de Fallavier
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fallavier, Chateau de
Ruined castles in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Isère