THE CASTLE

Built on the plan of a fortified castle by Isard de la Balme, the origin of this castle dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, with later additions in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The imposing dungeon, leveled during the revolution, is the oldest in Bugey, a historic region located between present-day Switzerland and Lyonnais.

The castle located along a river at an altitude of 550 meters dominates an important strategic point in the valley, a necessary passage between Geneva and Lyon. The castle served as a lookout post and possible refuge from marauding armies.

In conjunction with the other castles in the region, it was part of an ingenious warning system. Periods of relative tranquility were continually troubled by fierce wars and acts of banditry.

In the 15th century, the castle was enlarged with Perceval de Moyria, knight and lord of Maillat, bailiff of Bugey and Valromey, vassal of Amédée VIII first duke of Savoy.

The important constructions on the south side date from the end of the 16th century and are due to François de Moyria, grand huntsman of the Duke of Savoy and governor of the fortified town of Nantua.

The castle escaped destruction several times. From the Burgundian army of Marshal de Vergy in the 15th century and the end of the 16th century from those of Marshal de Biron during the Franco-Savoyard wars. Then in 1814, during the Austrian occupation and in 1944.

In 1601, Bugey was ceded to the King of France by the Duke of Savoy.

The Moyria will therefore enter the service of the King of France until the revolution of 1789.

In the 19th century, the Count of Lavenne de Choulot, famous landscape architect and author of the Art of Gardens published in 1846, was commissioned by Count Xavier de Broissia, the new owner of the premises, to design an English-style park around the castle. A fervent Legitimist, the Comte de Choulot supported the cause of the Duchess of Berry and had Legitimist aristocrats and a few crowned heads as clients, including Prince Napoleon, the King of Sardinia, the Duchess of Parma and the King of Naples.

The moats were filled in and the drawbridge probably removed with the development of the park. Inside, the sculpted woodwork and the Versailles parquet floor of the living room have remained intact, bearing witness to the Louis XV style. The three towers of the castle, symbol of feudalism, will be demolished later.

THE MOYRIA FAMILY: Lords of Maillat

The Moyria belong to the oldest chivalric nobility in the country.

Barons of Châtillon-de-Cornelle, former stronghold of the Sires de Coligny from which the famous Admiral came, lords of Maillat, Volognat, La Tour des Echelles, and other lands.

The Moyria kept the Château de Maillat in the male line from 1280 to 1863, then passed on to Count Xavier de Broissia.

The funerary stele of the last male descendant of the former lords of Maillat located opposite the castle and at the foot of the seigniorial church recalls the moving end of this great family:

“Here rests Arthus Abel of Moyria.

God had given it to Madame Anne Marie Bernardine de Romanet,

countess of Moyria,

on July 15, 1820 and took it away on February 19, 1853.

God alone can comfort his mother”

Descendants of the branch of the barons of Moyria-Châtillon since Catherine de Moyria died in 1803, the current owners bought the castle and its 10-hectare estate in 2019.

In 2021, the Ain department's safeguarding prize was awarded to the owners by the association of Vieilles Maisons Françaises for the renovation of the castle in the presence of Mr Damien Abad, deputy for the district, Mr Jean Deguerry, President of the Departmental Council and Mr. Cyrille Ducret, Mayor of Maillat.

Katherine de Moyria, Marquise de Beaurepaire. Painting by Van Loo.