Châteaux Granges (Ruin)

Châteaux Granges was first mentioned in documents in the 11th century and served as the ancestral seat of the Counts of Granges, one of the oldest countships in Valais. Close family ties existed with the noble families of Bex and Ayent. In 1241, Bishop Boson of Sion bequeathed the castle to his church, but reserved the feudal rights for his heirs. After Boson's death in 1243, the d'Ayent received two-thirds of the inheritance, while the Lords d'Anniviers received the remaining third as an episcopal fief. From 1244, the de la Tour family gained influence in Granges through inheritance. The exact date of the castle's destruction is not known, but a first wave of destruction is presumed around 1375, affecting the de la Tour, and a second around 1417, which impacted the bishop's castle of the Tavelli. Jacques d'Anniviers reunited the divided fief before his death in 1344. His daughters married into the Challant and Tavelli families around 1355/1360, bringing the lordship of Granges to the Tavelli. From 1362, following an agreement between the sisters, the castle remained the most important possession of the Tavelli.

The ruins of Châteaux Granges are located in Granges, in the Sierre district, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, at an elevation of approximately 511 m above sea level.

Today, the foundations of the former watchtower, which formed an irregular rectangle, are still visible from the castle complex. This tower, once the manor house of the Counts of Granges and later known as "Tour d'Anniviers," leaned against a curtain wall that enclosed a courtyard with outbuildings. The ruins are accessible to visitors.