Tournay Castle (Chambésy)

The origins of the Tournay lordship, which encompassed the villages of Pregny and Chambésy, likely date back to the 13th century. It was under the feudal authority of the Gex lordship. In the late Middle Ages, Tournay changed hands multiple times and came under Savoyard suzerainty from 1353. In the early 16th century, it was owned by the de Brosses family. After the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536 and its return to Savoy in 1567, the castle served as a base for the dukes against Geneva. Around 1590, Jean de Brosses attempted to dismantle the fortifications to protect the castle from warfare. Nevertheless, it was burned down by Genevan troops. Following the Peace of St-Julien (1603), it was rebuilt, but without the fortifications, thus acquiring its current character as a country estate. In the 18th century, the lordship was elevated to a county. Voltaire rented the castle in 1758 but soon moved to Fernay due to conflicts with Genevan Calvinists. The French Revolution brought an end to the Tournay lordship.

Château de Tournay is privately owned and not publicly accessible. Despite alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries, medieval masonry, a deep dry moat, and traces of the former curtain wall with round towers are still preserved.