A fortress from the beginning of the 14th century
In 1305, while conflicts raged between the county of Savoy and the Dauphiné, two enemy fortresses were simultaneously built in the country of Gex: a Savoyard built on Mount Luisandre, and a Dauphine fortress on Mount Allymes. Less than 1000 meters apart, the two strongholds face each other. First of wood and earth, the fortresses were consolidated with stones from 1315. On both sides, two fortified towns were also built. The long wall of the Allymes is a vestige of this. After destructive Savoyard attacks on the village of Allymes, an exchange treaty was agreed between the two camps, which resulted in the passage of the Dauphine fortress into the Savoyard camp. In 1355, the Treaty of Paris incorporated the Dauphiné into the kingdom of France, which agreed with the county of Savoy for the definition of new borders. The two fortresses are no longer of strategic interest. The following century, that of Luisandre was already nothing more than ruins. The Château des Allymes, for its part, became the seat of a small rural seigneury in Savoyard lands. In an increasingly peaceful climate, its residential vocation is asserting itself. In the 16th century, the conflicts between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Savoy, however, lead to its partial destruction. The Lord of Allymes René de Lucinge, famous for having signed the Treaty of Lyon for the Duke of Savoy in 1601, undertakes restorations. But his family will lose the castle a few decades after his death. Between the 17th and the 19th century, the fortress changed hands several times, but no longer found its function of residence and deteriorated. A large local owner decided to partially restore the building around 1860. In 1960, a Parisian antique dealer bought the premises, then sold it in 1984 to the town of Ambérieu-en-Bugey. The castle is the subject of a restoration campaign scheduled to run from 2017 to 2021.
Visit of the Allymes castle
The site includes the remains of the fortified town and the castle itself. A free visit is possible lasting about an hour. It will allow you to discover the feudal architecture of the building, but also to enjoy permanent and temporary exhibitions in the rooms of the castle, including:
- In the keep on the ground floor, models of medieval Savoyard fortifications
- At the top of the keep, Louis XIII furniture present since the 19th century and a museography on René Lucinge
- A weapons room which exhibits many weapons from the 14th century, overlooked by a mezzanine
- An upcoming exhibition on ancient toy castles, in the halls of the lodge In the Gothic lodge and on the first floor of the keep, temporary exhibitions renewed each year
The guided tours last 45 minutes to 1 hour. They provide an opportunity to access the belvedere at the top of the square tower. Full guided tours of the site, lasting 1.5 hours, are also organized by reservation.
Info, prices and timetables
The Château des Allymes can be visited all year round:
- Afternoons only from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in April, weekdays in May, June and September, during the All Saints, Christmas and winter holidays, as well as Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays from November to March
- From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. without interruption every day in July and August and on weekends in September Mornings from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. then in the afternoons from 1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and public holidays in May and June
The car park is located a 10-minute walk from the castle. Part of the site is accessible free of charge: the inner courtyard, the ground floor of the round tower and the ground floor of the house.
Free visits to other parts of the castle are priced at 5 euros full price, 2.50 euros reduced price, and free for children under 8 years old.
The ascents to the belvedere of the keep are offered at an additional cost of 2 euros full price and 1 euro reduced price. Children under 8 cannot go up to the gazebo for safety reasons.
© Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons
