Château de Grilly

Magnificent medieval castle of the X-XV century. located in Grilly in the French department of Ain just 13 km from Geneva and Nyon, and protected as a historical monument since 1987, it stands on the site of a fort from Roman times (45 BC) located in the center of a century of the Colonia Julia Equestris. The archaeological remains visible in Grilly Castle, including the large stones of the 1st century BC Roman tower. reused in the facade of the castle and a milestone in its courtyard, they represent traces of a unique heritage of this period. Inside there are many original architectural elements of the medieval extension and restoration of the eighteenth century. The castle overlooks a closed courtyard that connects with the stable / garage and with a separate house, the guardian's house. Until a few years ago, in a second courtyard there was a huge barn whose facades still exist and which can be rebuilt on three floors (adding 800 sq m to the already habitable surface of the castle of 1,100 sq m) On the ground floor of the castle there is a large hall, the ancient weapons room, with a 14th century fireplace, another relevant hall, two kitchens, two bathrooms, two laundries and another TV room with fireplace. A medieval stone staircase connects the ground floor to the first floor and the towers. On the first floor there are 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The towers, with a useful surface of 300 square meters, which also have an independent external access, are already prepared for multiple destinations (home, library, cinema room or games room, all of which can be associated). The caretaker's house has 140 m2 on two floors, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, lounge, kitchen and small garden. Beyond the second courtyard there is a garden of about 800 square meters. The roof of the castle was completely redone a few years ago, using the original beams of the 1700s and has been thermally insulated according to the most modern technology. During the renovation of the roof, the castle structure also benefited from a general anti-seismic consolidation. All the systems, heating, plumbing and electricity have also been redone recently. The castle, whose Roman part was built by the most famous of Julius Caesar's legions, the Legio X Equestris, is the ancestral residence of the family of Jean de Grailly, who gave birth to Queen Jeanne d 'Albret, Luigi's wife of Bourbon and mother of Henry IV of France. Madame de Stael, daughter of Minister Necker, was a frequent visitor during the French revolution.