The
valley, North of Grenoble towards Chambéry, has always been a
major path for trade and invasions. It is called Grésivaudan.
Its rich soil has always attracted people from Savoy
whose rocky lands where ideal for vineyards but not for
cereals. In the Middle Ages, the North of the valley, called Haut-Grésivaudan,
marked the border between two conflicting states: Dauphiné
to the South and Savoy to the North. Many castles were
erected by the princes of Dauphiné to guard the
frontier, like those of Bellecombe
and La Buissière on the
right bank of the River Isère, or Avalon
on the other bank. Temporary forts were even built to take
possession of border territories like the fort of
Mont-Briton. In the lower
valley, the castles were mostly used as residences as they were
less exposed to war, like the castle of
La Terrasse.
Maintenance of these medieval castles
will stop in the middle of the 14th century, when the war
between Dauphiné and Savoy comes to an
end. They will be dismantled towards the end of the XVIth
century, during the French Civil War to prevent enemies from
the King to use them as strongholds. At about the same time,
the Duke of Savoye builds on a hill in Barraux one of the
first French fort using the latest technologies: Fort Saint
Barthélémy, that will later be called Fort
Barraux.
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View the Castles of the Grésivaudan Valley on a bigger map |
Fortresses of Haut-Grésivaudan 
