Château de l'Île

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de l'Île, in Geneva, was an episcopal fortress built on the Rhône island to command the crossing of the river and defend the city. It was erected between 1215 and 1219 by Bishop Aymon de Grandson, in the face of mounting pressure from the House of Savoy, which seized it in 1287 before the bishop ceded the site and the office of vidomne to it in 1290, according to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse. From the 16th century onwards, the castle was dismantled; it was demolished in 1677 according to the Ville de Genève, with the exception of the great tower. The tower lost its defensive character, received a clock, and served in turn as a dye works, an ammunition store, a granary and a rental building. In 1898, the architect Edmond Fatio altered it extensively and raised it; it has changed little since and has been the subject of a restoration project. The Tour de l'Île, the only surviving remnant of the castle, is one of the landmarks of the Pont de l'Île, in the heart of the city. The Château de l'Île should not be confused with the Château de Genève, known as the Bourg-de-Four, seat of the counts of Geneva.