Montsalvens Castle (Ruin) (Broc)

The ruin of Montsalvens is located after Broc, on the road from Jaun. It currently stands in the middle of a forest on a hill.

It is an old castle from the 12th century, which was built on the site of a prehistoric refuge. It was the property of the Lords of Montsalvens, then the Counts of Gruyères, and from 1555, the city of Fribourg.

A few lines from the geographical dictionary of Switzerland:
"From the upper part of this tower, Madeleine of Miolans, wife of Michel, saw her unfaithful husband, who sat on a white horse and took a diverted road to seek good business in Charmey. The path he followed is in Monse and has been given the name Path of the Broken Heart (Charrière de Crève-coeur), which the unhappy abandoned wife gave it".

Doyen Bridel wrote:
"There lived at the beginning of the sixteenth century the well-known Luce of Albergeux, the mistress of Count Jean, whose beauty was known throughout the land. The Countess, the wife of Michel, also lived there for some time; and it is said that it was she who is seen at the top of the tower, looking out for her unfaithful husband... "

The legend inspired O’Donnalt to write a novel about it "The Golden Eye, or the beautiful Luce as a Rock Fairy", J.Guinchard Printing House.

After 1671, the castle visibly decayed. Today, only remnants of the watchtower, 12 by 12 meters, are visible. There are also remnants of some building walls and the curtain wall.