Montet Castle

In December 1830, the castle estate was sold by the Praroman family to Françoise-Henriette-Emilie von Charbonnel, representing the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. As early as October 1831, the nuns moved in with numerous female students from France, establishing an educational institution. The order's founder, Sainte Madeleine-Sophie Barat, visited Montet several times. In October 1847, the boarding school was classified as a monastery due to the radical regime and dissolved. In 1849, Florent-Casimir Caille acquired the buildings, with the proceeds benefiting the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Later, Elise Bourgknecht became the owner. A turning point occurred in 1875 when Countess Viktoria von Marini in Odessa donated 250,000 francs for the establishment of an orphanage for girls in the canton of Fribourg. With this money, the Montet estate was acquired. In November 1881, the girls' orphanage opened its doors under the direction of Abbot Eugène Torche and with the support of the Ursuline Sisters. From 1884, boys were also admitted, and the orphanage became co-educational, though it was later restricted to boys again. After Abbot Torche's death in 1908, the Brothers of the Christian Schools took over the management, followed by various directors and orders, including the Salesians. In 1979, the institution closed and briefly served the Red Cross before becoming a meeting center for the Focolare Movement in 1981. The buildings have been repeatedly renovated and adapted.

Montet Castle is situated in the village of Montet in the Broye district, canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, at an altitude of approximately 489 meters above sea level.

Today, Montet Castle is privately owned. The appearance of the castle has changed significantly due to numerous additions and no longer corresponds to the original character of a castle.