Château de Montrottier

The site's origins may trace back to Roman or Saracen times, where a defensive outpost might have existed. The current castle buildings were constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries, with later additions in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1263, the Montrottier family was first documented, having received the estate either from the Counts of Geneva or the Lords of Pontverre. In 1266, the castle passed to the Grésy family. The last heir of this line sold it in 1425 to Amadeus VIII of Savoy, who, two years later in 1427, sold it for 9,000 florins to Pierre de Menthon. This acquisition established the Menthon-Montrottier branch. Pierre de Menthon undertook construction and renovation work. He died at the castle in 1455 from an injury. The Menthon-Montrottier family owned the Château until the French Revolution, with their lands being elevated to a barony in 1596 and a county in 1632. After the Revolution, it was sold as a national asset in 1796 and changed hands multiple times, including the Dufour and Rochette families, who made alterations. In 1876, Victor Frerejean acquired the castle, and in 1906, it became the property of art collector Léon Marès. Marès bequeathed the Château de Montrottier and its collections to the Académie florimontane, which took possession in 1919 and opened it to the public.

The castle is currently privately owned. It houses collections of weapons, armor, faience, porcelain, glassware, tapestries, antique furniture, lace, and objects from the Far East and Africa, all amassed by Léon Marès. This collection has been designated a “Musée de France” since 2003.