Domdidier Castle

The place is one of the oldest settlements in the canton and was located on the great Roman road Lausanne-Solothurn. The area was dependent on the Counts of Neuchâtel, to whom it is said to have passed through marriage in 1142. In the middle of the 13th century, it belonged to the dominion of Montagny and came with it under the suzerainty of Savoy. In 1478, it passed to Fribourg with the sale of Montagny. Domdidier was not a lordship, but only a sub-fief, which mainly comprised the great tithe. However, we already encounter Knight Ulrich von Domdidier in 1158 and Rudolf von Domdidier in 1180. The fief belonged to this family at the beginning of the 13th century, which existed until the end of the 14th century. Since then, the owners changed often, as we encounter the Chausse, Pavillard, Fegely, Gottrau von Billens and others.

After older structures had certainly preceded it, the present castle was built in 1527. In this year, the Fribourg government commissioned "to inspect the place at Domdidier to build a castle". The building, which can no longer be strictly described as a fortified complex, has only preserved some memories of the old castles in its defensive turrets and loopholes. The main building is a three-story complex with rectangular windows, partly with crossbars, and a high hip roof. Above all, it is the stair tower built in front of the entrance side that gives the building its character. Essentially, the castle is still in its old state, as shown in the 18th-century picture. Only one of the turrets of the surrounding wall has been partially removed.