Château des Faucigny

The Château des Faucigny, fortified in the 12th century, is now a ruin. However, the building was once of great architectural and historical value and was part of the original development of Flumet.

Flumet’s location, on a rocky spur above the river Arly and where the two mountain passes of Aravis and Les Saisies meet, meant that from the 11th century it was at the southern tip of the Lords of Faucigny’s estates, bordering the House of Savoy's territory. Because of these geo-strategic reasons, the Lords of Faucigny decided to build a château in the vicinity.

It’s not possible to give an accurate date for the build, although some historians think it dates back to the 11th century. However, it is known that Aimon II of Faucigny extended the château de Flumet in around 1200. It was built in polygonal form with thick walls and has a square tower in the centre. It was only after the château was built that the fortified town of Flumet was created: the château is therefore the starting point of this village’s history.

Principally a place of residence, it was initially home to the Lords of Faucigny on an occasional basis before it became their main residence, demonstrating the influence they had on the territory. It was a defensive building, serving as an advance position in the face of the threat from the neighbouring Savoyards. Once the Faucigny lands fell into the possession of the House of Savoy in 1355, it lost its military importance.

From the 15th century, the château slowly fell into ruin, maintained from time to time by the inhabitants of the village. After the village fire of 1679, the local residents were allowed to rebuild their houses with stones from the château, although they were not permitted to touch the tower. As a result of these events and the ravages of time, the château’s general state of repair has worsened considerably over the last few years and is close to disappearing forever.