Filming location for the mini-series The Crimson and the Black (France 2, 2026): Châtillon Castle in Chindrieux, Savoie
The Crimson and the Black on France 2: Châtillon Castle, Savoyard setting for the series
For its mini-series based on Stendhal, broadcast on France 2 in late August 2026, Gaël Morel filmed in October 2025 at Châtillon Castle, a medieval sentinel on the northern shore of Lake Bourget.
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Lieux de tournage
Julien Sorel has left Stendhal’s Franche-Comté for the shores of Savoy. The new adaptation of *The Crimson and the Black*, directed by Gaël Morel and comprising four episodes starring Victor Belmondo, broadcast on France 2 since late summer 2026, was partly filmed in October 2025 at Châtillon Castle in Chindrieux. This Renaissance-reworked fortress has stood guard over the Chautagne and the northern tip of Lake Bourget since the Middle Ages. Here’s what we know about the filming and the castle’s history as a backdrop.
A Stendhal adaptation filmed in Savoie
Produced by Siècle Productions and directed by Gaël Morel from a screenplay by Gilles Taurand and Georges-Marc Benamou, the new version of *The Crimson and the Black* spans four 52-minute episodes. Victor Belmondo stars as Julien Sorel. The series was made available in full on france.tv on 21 August 2026, before its broadcast on France 2 on Mondays 31 August and 7 September at 21:10, following its premiere at the Canneséries festival. Filming took place in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with support from the Region and the CNC. The regional film commission and Lyon Capitale identify part of the shoot in October 2025 at Châtillon Castle in Chindrieux, Savoie; other scenes were filmed in Haute-Savoie, in La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand. France Télévisions’ press kit does not detail the sets: which fictional location the castle represents on screen has not been publicly disclosed.
Châtillon Castle, Chindrieux
A thousand years above the Chautagne
Perched above the northern tip of Lake Bourget, Châtillon Castle once commanded the Chautagne, the marshy plain between the lake and the Rhône. Secondary sources place its lordship seat here as early as the 11th century; an enclosure may have been erected in the 13th century. The fortress later passed to the Montluel, the Seyssel d’Aix, the Rambert, and then the barons of Anglejan-Châtillon. The major works date to 1537, at the instigation of Louis de Seyssel, who adapted the stronghold to Renaissance tastes. Further alterations followed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest and most remarkable parts—the polygonal keep, the large square tower, and the gatehouse—are listed as historic monuments since 29 April 1991.
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