Yvoire Castle, locally known as Château d'Yvoire, lies in the town of the same name, on the southern shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), in the Haute-Savoie department in France.
Yvoire Castle was built in the early 14th century by Amadeus V, Count of Savoy. From 1306 he fortified the entire village as it was situated on a strategic location on a point between the "small lake" and the "large lake" that form Lake Geneva. For half a century, the village of Yvoire had an important military role, which earned certain freedoms for its inhabitants in 1324.
During the 16th century, from 1536 to 1591, the region was occupied by forces of the independent city of Bern, who were allies of the French and the independent city of Geneva. During this occupation the village lost its ramparts and military role. Yvoire Castle was burnt and remained roofless for 350 years.
In 1655 the castle was acquired by the d'Yvoire family. Between 1919 and 1939 they had the castle restored and gave it a new roof and 4 corner turrets.
At present Yvoire Castle is private property. It can not be visited. A nice castle on a beautiful location in a cosy medieval town.
http://www.castles.nl/yvoire-castle

Château d'Yvoire

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Through its grandeur and history, Ripaille is one of the finest sites in the region. Built in 1434 by Duke Amadeus VIII, a Carthusian monastery in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the country house of a businessman-aesthete from 1892, the Castle de Ripaille was a centre of power and religion before being dedicated to the arts and to the «art de vivre». A visit to Ripaille revives all these histories.
https://www.thononlesbains.com

Château de Ripaille

In the center of the village of Brenthonne, a road leads us to the old Castle of Avully, hidden in the trees. Situated bellow the slopes of the Voirons Mountains, this ancient manor was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman villa during the first century AD, as gleaned from the numerous pottery sherds found in the soil during the castle’s restoration.
The family of Avully is mentioned as early as 1172, and they depended on the lords of Faucigny.
During the XIIth and XIIIth centuries, the Chablais territory was split between several feudal families. The prince bishop of Geneva exercised his authority over the left bank of Lake Geneva. His administrative authority extended from Geneva to Bouveret and his diocese was split into eight deaneries, of which one was Allinges. Allinges included its castle, as well as Avully, Rochette, Buffavent, and Coudrée. The Chablais was also placed under the authority of numerous lords, the counts of Geneva, the Sires of Faucigny, and the Counts of Savoy.
The earliest record of Avully is of a certain Namtelme, son of the knight Guichard of Avully, family vassal of the Lord of Langin, who has a fort situated at the foot of the Voirons. The fort has a tower and several ramparts. In 1335, the Count of Savoy ordered the Lord of Avully to strengthen the castle’s defenses, as the castle is located in a plain and has no natural defenses. From 1362 – 1363, the Lord of Avully participated in the Savoyard crusade. We don’t read that Jean of Avully took part in the expedition of the Green Count of Savoy, in the direction of Gallipoli, key to the Dardanelles, in order to defend the Count’s cousin, the Byzantine Emperor.
At the beginning of the XVth century, Jeanne of Avully is cited with her brother Humbert, as being party to the characters received at the House of Savoy at Ripaille. Humbert of Avully had been made liege-lord of the Red Count, Amadeus VII. Life touched by the noble court, together with ambitious designs, was luxurious but not without needing large sums of money.
With Humbert de Avully, the family of Boëge entered into the history of Avully. He married Françoise de Boëge, who had been named by her father, Pierre, in 1412 as sole inheritor of his estate. Pierre de Balleyson and Guigon de Rovorée were named executers of this act. Jean of Rovorée-Avully’s daughter, Philiberte, married the noble Georges d’Antioch, Lord of Yvoire, and one of the two lords of Nernier. It was she who, in 1499, sold the castle, territories, and dependencies for 8,000 florins to Bonifice of St. Michel, originally from Geneva. The act was signed at the castle of Yvoire, of which the Rovorée has lordship.
It was this St Michel who remodeled the castle for the last time, giving it the form seen today. St Michel and his family held the castle for the longest time, thus adding the most to its history, which includes Antoine de St Michel, its dealings with the citizens of Bern, Geneva, Théodore de Bèze, François de Sale, the Pope, and Marguerite of Austria.
According to Galiffe, a Genevan historian, The St Michel family was an old Genevan family. It was in 1386 that Michel of St Michel was made Bourgeois of Geneva.
We theorize that they were bankers who financed maritime expeditions in search of Middle Eastern spices and Cypriot sugar.
De Foras, in his armorial, wrote that the family became Protestants during the beginning of the Reformation, probably through the marriage of a family from Bern called Watteville. François de St Michel, nicknamed ‘‘The Spaniard’’, was named counsillor of Geneva in 1519. His wife, Marguerite, was thought to be Spanish or Portuguese, according to a chronicle by Bonivard. She was declared ‘‘capitain’’ of the Amazons, all of the noble ladies who were received in Geneva on August 4th, 1523, for the marriage of Princess Béatrice of Portugal and Charles III, Duke of Savoy.
These Amazons often numbered, according to the chronicle of the time, 300, armed with darts and silver shields. They were often invited to Avully for great parties. The most interesting of them was Antoine de St Michel. Protestant and President of the Consistory of Thonon, he converted to Catholicism after four years of discussion with François de Sales. He did everything in his power to stop the fratricidal struggles and ensure the return of religious peace.
This important figure, original and intelligent, ambitious and turbulent, attracted the anger of Genevans and a price was put on his head as soon as his conversion became known. To give an idea of the work of Antoine de St Michel, later Baron of Hermance and of Avully, it is necessary to reread some lines from the historian Alain Duffour (Wars of Geneva 1589 – 1593, 1958 Julien Edition).
Those of Geneva and Bern had engineered these wars in order to snatch territory from the Duke of Savoy in order to guarantee a ‘‘good peace’’. […] Antoine de St Michel entered the scene and managed to earn the confidence of both sides. He was Protestant (provisionally) and was descended on his mother’s side to De Watteville, a great family of Bern. He had already served as an intermediary between the Duke of Savoy, his master, and Geneva in 1580. The Baron of Avully proposed to the Duke of Savoy arbitration between the Swiss, which intrigued Fribourg and Berne in May 1589. Zurich and Lucerne refused to receive it. The Baron then proposed to the Duke of Savoy to ally with the city of Bern and the French who supported Geneva against Savoy. He manipulated both sides, and he did not have to do much to move his pawns into place. The essential for him was the resulting peace, as he was a great landowner needing a market to sell his harvest of wheat and wine. ‘‘What a comedian!’’ wrote Duffour, ‘‘He knew how to bluff!’’ French territories, Bern, and Geneva burned and looted all the Savoyard castles, but always spared Avully. Until, Antoine converted and Avully was attacked for three days in May of 1603. Resisting victoriously against repeated assaults, their assailants had to withdraw their dead and wounded, and according to the Genevan register, fourteen cows and forty sheep.
Let us return to the Baron of Avully’s conversion to Catholicism. This conversion, along with the influence of François de Sales, led other nobles to Catholicism as early as 1594. Influenced by his words and but also his interests, Antoine de St Michel entreated to Protestantism in Turin the 26th of August 1596, before the Papal Nuncio.
Théodore de Bèze, Calvinist and friend to the Baron of Avully, became furious after the announcement of the former’s conversion, and responded with the strongest of rebukes.
In response, the lord published a letter at Lyon in 1602 titled ‘‘Offensive and Defensive Weapons against the Calvinists.’’ Antoine de St Michel died in 1610. The check against scaling Geneva pushed back the efforts, ambitions and interests of the House of Savoy beyond the Alps.
The Lords of Avully only occupied their castle during the summer. The rest of the time, they lived at the court of Turin where riches, honors, and important posts were awarded to their family. Antoine de St Michel knew to keep his own house in the proper order, served and maintained by numerous servants.
After the family of St Michel, the castle passed to other hands; those of Scaglia by inheritance and those of Ferrod de Sares by way of sale. In March 1756, it was bought by François de Sales, lord of Brens, along with numerous forts situated at the foot of Langin Hill. 
The castle stayed in this family until 1896, at which time it was sold to the Mouchets of Saxel, a family of wood merchants. During the revolution, the castle of the municipality of Brenthonne had escaped total destruction.
Therefore, due to the reluctance to carry out the orders of the revolutionaries, the owner was able to save the towers, but the dungeon was destroyed and the moat was filled in. The mayor Guarin Lacroiz, ancestor to the current owner, lived there with his family as a farmer. The Count of Foras, author of the Armorial of Savoy, noted in 1860 that the archives of Avully were very complete and well-preserved.
Unfortunately, the farmer at the time burned part of the castle when asked to vacate the premises. Years of farmers, vandals, and those who profited from using the castle as a stone quarry left the castle in ruins.
After 44 years of work; the Castle of Avully is once again restored to its former glory, where one can admire the residence of Louis of Savoie and Jean de Vernay and Guillaume d’Allinges and the Baron of Coudrée.
This reconstruction would not have been possible without the wonderful support of several friends of the History of Savoy, in particular :
- Mr Henri Baud, Sous Préfet,
- Dr Jacques Miguet,
- Charles Bonnet, Archéologue Cantonal,
- Prof. Tanner, University of Geneva,
- M. Michaud, Architect for Historical Monuments,
- Conseil Général de la Haute-Savoie,
- Mme Joséphine Bel and her daughter Yvonne.
We do not forget the help of various craftspeople: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and other skilled workers, who completed their magnificent work in the spirit of their colleagues from the Middle Ages.
Avully, La Rochette, Buffavent, Langin, les Allinges, Ripaille, Coudrée, Rovorée, Yvoire, the Canton of Vaud, Valais, and Peidmont reminds us that XVth century Savoy possessed more territory than France.
At one time a residence for noble, privileged families, the castle is now at the disposal of numerous visitors who come to admire the magnificent gardens, dungeon, the tower, watch towers, moat, etc.
http://www.chateau-avully.com/

Château d'Avully

Le château de Ferney-Voltaire est situé dans le Pays de Gex, à Ferney (devenu Ferney-Voltaire), aujourd'hui dans le département de l'Ain en France, non loin de la Suisse (notamment Genève). Il a été pendant près de vingt ans la résidence de Voltaire qui l'a acheté en 1758 et l'a transformé ainsi que le domaine qui l'accompagnait. Le château, acquis par l'État en 1998, est classé monument historique depuis 1958.
L'acquisition par Voltaire
Riche de ses placements financiers, Voltaire s'installe en mars 1755 dans les environs de Genève et achète une propriété qu'il appelle Les Délices. Inquiété par la République de Genève pour sa participation à l'Encyclopédie, notamment avec l'article « Genève », il cherche à s'éloigner tout en restant à l'écart de Paris où il est persona non grata. Il finit par acheter en 1758 la seigneurie de Ferney (Fernex à l'époque), dans le pays de Gex, province française frontalière de la Suisse qui jouissait de certains privilèges et d'une certaine autonomie. Il y entreprend de grands travaux avant de s'y installer en 1760 : il y résidera jusqu'à la fin survenue lors de sa visite triomphale à Paris en 1778.
La reconstruction de l'édifice
Lorsque Voltaire se porte acquéreur du domaine de Ferney, il le reconstruit entièrement en prétendant diriger lui-même les travaux dès 1758. Il s'est en fait appuyé sur un architecte genevois réputé, Jean-Michel Billon.
Le château est terminé en 1762 et présente, côté cour, une façade classique organisée symétriquement autour d'une entrée encadrée de colonnes doriques jumelées, surmontée de pilastres corinthiens, également jumelés, doubles à l'étage, et d'un fronton portant les armes du seigneur et celles de sa nièce, Mme Denis. La façade, côté jardin, était animée d'un avant-corps en arrondi, encastré de pilastres ioniques et couronné d'un fronton curviligne. Il a été remplacé au xixe siècle par une façade plate à fronton triangulaire.
Le parc est aménagé simultanément et participe à la mise en scène du château qui domine le site, notamment par l'implantation, au sud, de charmilles et vers l'ouest d'un jardin à la française, d'une pièce d'eau et d'une large terrasse. Il comporte également une orangerie, créée au début du xxe siècle, qui sert aujourd'hui à des rencontres culturelles.
Voltaire fait aménager des ouvertures dans la frondaison des arbres en contrebas de la terrasse pour dégager la vue vers les Alpes. La grange voisine était aménagée en salle de spectacle. Très vite, Voltaire se rend à l'évidence: son château est trop petit pour accueillir ses nombreux visiteurs. Il fait appel en 1765 à l'architecte et potier Léonard Racle pour ajouter deux ailes qui donnent à l'édifice son aspect définitif.
Voltaire à Ferney
Le cabinet de travail de Voltaire se trouvait dans l'aile gauche : il y écrivit une large correspondance et de nombreuses œuvres comme son Dictionnaire Philosophique ou le Traité sur la Tolérance et ses tragédies qu'il faisait représenter chez lui. Le Roi-Voltaire menait une vie sociale intense, recevant l'élite de toute l'Europe et menant ses combats pour la liberté comme dans l'affaire Calas ou moins connu son intervention dans l'émancipation des serfs du Haut-Jura de l'abbaye de Saint-Claude, ses voisins.
À la mort de Voltaire, Catherine II impératrice de Russie projette de bâtir à l'identique le château de Ferney dans le parc de Tsarkoïe Selo, son palais d'été. Dans ce but, elle acquiert une maquette réalisée par un valet de chambre de Mme Denis, Morand, et fait dresser par Léonard Racle les plans du château et de l'ensemble du domaine, et achète la bibliothèque du philosophe. Ces documents sont conservés au palais de l'Ermitage et à la bibliothèque nationale de Russie.
Le château se visite de mai à septembre et diverses animations culturelles y sont proposées.
Le domaine
Attentif à l'agronomie et mettant en pratique son fameux « il faut cultiver son jardin », Voltaire a transformé les terres et les dépendances agricoles du domaine en asséchant les marais et en introduisant les techniques les plus modernes dans l'agriculture. Il a procédé de même en transformant le bourg, modernisant l'artisanat avec par exemple une manufacture de faïence. Il a aussi fait construire une chapelle en remplacement de l'ancienne qui gênait l'agrandissement du château et dont il avait obtenu la démolition. Le patriarche de Ferney a aussi pris en charge l'édification de belles demeures à proximité du château pour y loger ses amis.
La maison de maître et la chapelle isolée ont été classés monument historique le 13 décembre 1958.
Parc
Le parc du château de Voltaire tel qu'il est délimité par les anciens murs, avec son allée d'accès au château plantée d'arbres de 300 m de long est classé monument historique depuis le 13 décembre 1958 et inscrit au pré-inventaire des jardins remarquables.