Medieval treasure
dominating the town of TrévouxBesides panoramic views over the Saône valley, the Monts d’Or, the Beaujolais region and even Mont Blanc when the weather’s right, the site offers an immersion into the Middle Ages!
Besides panoramic views over the Saône valley, the Monts d’Or, the Beaujolais region and even Mont Blanc when the weather’s right, the site offers an immersion into the Middle Ages!
Charged with guarding the border and the toll on the river below, it plays above all a deterrent role. Placed high up to mark the landscape and remind neighbors that a powerful lord owns Trévoux, it offers a breathtaking panorama of the surrounding region.
This symbolic function is also behind the singularity of Trévoux’s château-fort. It preserves a very rare and particularly refined architecture through a powerful octagonal keep, with three-meter-thick walls decorated with alternating rings of white and gilded cut stone. Its originality, monumentality and the quality of its construction make it one of the major monuments of the Ain department even today.
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With its wealth of distinctive features, the château-fort de Trévoux is nonetheless a highly educational monument. It was part of the dominant trends of its time. As a result, it provides an insight into the stone fortress of the late Middle Ages.
It is a precious witness to its era. It was used for two centuries without undergoing major modification, before being abandoned early in 1563 following an attack during the Wars of Religion. It has been little altered by the subsequent, often extensive, remodeling of most other castles.
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Discover this site, listed as a Historic Monument, and understand the functions and role of a fortified castle. Learn how to defend the castle using the weapons available at the time. Slip into the shoes of a knight as you try on pieces of armor and helmets for young and old alike.