The Château de Thorens is a castle in the '' commune'' of
Thorens-Glières
Thorens-Glières () is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Fillière.Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It is accessible from the north-east of
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...
by a road of about 20 km, going up to the plateau of Glières. It is often confused with the
Château de Sales
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking reg ...
, which was formerly its neighbour of a few hundred metres but was destroyed on the order of King
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.
...
in 1630. Since the
Liberation of France
The liberation of France () in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance.
Nazi Germany in ...
at the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the castle has sometimes incorrectly been called ''Château de Thorens-Glières'', based on the contemporary name of the commune, but it has always rightly been just ''de Thorens''.
History
At the exit of the village of Thorens-Glières, on the road of the famous plateau of Glières, the castle appears in proud silhouette in a beautiful mountainous setting. It is built on an ancient fort dating to 1060, built by the order of count Gérold de Genève, who bestowed it upon his faithful comrade in arms, Lord Odon de Compey.
The castle was confiscated by the duke of
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population o ...
in 1479. Many crimes, abuses and executions were reported to have been committed by the lords of Compey and so the castle was offered of Hélène de Luxembourg, the spouse of prince Janus de Savoie, duke of
Genève
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Ca ...
. Hélène was, however, not interested in Thorens; her daughter Louise de Savoie, who married her cousin François de Luxembourg, inherited the Château de Thorens.
Later, in 1559, Thorens was sold to
Sébastien II de Luxembourg
Sébastien is a common French given name. It is a French form of the Latin name ''Sebastianus'' meaning "from Sebaste". Sebaste was a common placename in classical Antiquity, derived from the Greek word ''σεβαστος'', or ''sebastos'', mea ...
and Lord François de Sales de Boisy, father of Saint François de Sales. The Lord de Sales already owned the
Château de Sales
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking reg ...
, located a few hundred metres from the Château de Thorens. Pledged also to the lords of Compey, initially, the Château de Sales thus came to the keeping of the princes of Luxembourg. The Lord de Sales occupied the prestigious charge of ''maître d'hôtel'' of the residence of prince Sébastien II. In the 17th century, the very old family of Sales, originating from
La Roche-sur-Foron
La Roche-sur-Foron (; Arpitan: ''La Roche'') is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France.
It is located about 23 km (14.2 mi) southeast of Geneva, Switzerland. La Roche-sur-Foron sta ...
, saw a fast rise, occupied the highest charges at the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...
in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
and went from the titles of baron to those of count and finally marquis.
Abused during the French invasion of Savoy in 1792, the Château de Thorens was restored in the 19th century by the marquise Alexandrine de Sales, helped by her grandson, count
Eugène de Roussy de Sales
Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Félix-Léonard de Roussy de Sales, inhabits the castle year-round and undertakes its preservation.
The castle relates the life of Saint
Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales, Congregation of the Oratory, C.O., Order of Minims, O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard state, Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became n ...
and the family de Sales. Francis (1567–1622), prince-bishop of Geneva, was a multi-faceted character who was eminently famous for his humility. His life is illustrated by liturgical goldwork, seals, episcopal clothes, paintings, documents and rare books.
The count Camille Benso de Cavour (1810–1861) is another character who is inextricably linked with Thorens and stayed regularly in the castle with his cousins. When he was a prime minister for the Kingdom of Piémont-Sardaigne, Cavour concluded the ''
risorgimento
The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...
'' to the profit of the
Savoy House
The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...
, with the aid of his old friend, Emperor
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. Consequently, the
county of Nice
The County of Nice (; ; Niçard ) was a historical region of France and Italy located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent to the modern arrondissement of Nice. It was part of the Savoyard state within the Holy Roman Emp ...
and the duchy of Savoy were annexed by France in the spring of 1860 by the ''Treaty of Annexation of March 24'' (). The Château de Thorens contains the personal effects of this statesman, his furniture, and his works of art; in particular, the sumptuous desk in the style of "
Boulle
Boulle is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Jean Boulle, the father of André Charles Boulle, a cabinetmaker to the King of France
* André Charles Boulle (1642–1732), French cabinetmaker to the Sun King
* Étienne- ...
Napoléon III" on which was signed the Treaty of Annexation.
Passing through the works of art; Flandres tapestries; masterpieces of paintings; and the furniture of the
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
, the
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
period and the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
, the visitor finally enters the heart of the castle. This residence of the nobility, illuminated with the golden light of a salon, shows the finesse of 17th century tastes. The arched kitchen (1632) gives a hint of the feasts that filled this period. The austere arched rooms of the inner fortifications evoke the life of men-at-arms, and the keep recalls the seigniorial justice system.
Tourism
The Château de Thorens can be visited
* From April 1 to June 30: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from 14:00 to 18:00 hours, for individual visitors;
* From September 1 to October 31: Saturdays and Sundays from 14:00 to 18:00 hours, for individual visitors;
* From July 1 to August 31: every day from 14:00 to 19:00 hours, for individual visitors;
* All the year for groups, excepted December 25 and January 1 (reservations needed).
The visit includes the keep, the staff waiting rooms of the 12th and 13th centuries, the kitchen with its imposing chimneys, the living rooms, the salons and the offices richly furnished and decorated with works gathered from the time of the Italian Renaissance to Napoleon III. The garden also forms a part of the protected monuments.
See also
*
List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...
*
History of Savoy
The history of Savoy presents a synthesis of the various periods, from prehistory to the present day, of the geographical and historical entity known as Savoy, a territory whose definition has varied for historical periods, until it was defined b ...
*
Château de Sales
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking reg ...