Château d'Illens
Origin of the name Château d'Illens
The castle bears the name of Illens, recorded in 1138-1143 in a donation to the abbey of Hauterive (or in 1174, when a Hauterive necrology names « Hugo, miles de Illens »). The name remains unexplained.[1][5]
Founding of Château d'Illens
The fortress stood on a rocky spur above the Sarine, facing the castle and village of Arconciel, with which it formed a single lordship until 1475. It probably existed before the mid-12th century, after the castle of Arconciel, recorded in 1082. What can be seen today is not that medieval castle, of which nothing remains, but the manor that Guillaume de La Baume had built from 1455 at the northern end of the promontory, probably on its ruins. Chamberlain to Charles the Bold and to King Charles VII, Knight of the Golden Fleece and governor of Bresse for the Duke of Savoy, he wanted a comfortable hunting lodge with no defensive role.[1][2][3][4][5]
History of Château d'Illens
Late 11th century. Illens belongs to the counts of Burgundy, then in the mid-12th century to the counts of Neuchâtel. A century later come the house of Savoy, then the counts of Gruyère.[1]
Late 13th century. In the late 13th or early 14th century a buttress is added to the enclosure wall that protected the castle and the neighbouring houses.[1]
1324. Burghers of Fribourg and Bern seize the lordship.[1][5]
1455. Guillaume de La Baume takes possession of the estate, whose castle is by then partly in ruins, and begins his manor.[1][2][3][4]
1474. Guillaume de La Baume is warmly received in Fribourg.[1]
1475. During the war against the Duke of Burgundy, Bern and Fribourg take the hill in January, on 2 January according to one source, with 150 men of Fribourg and 25 Bernese. The manor remains unfinished. The ruins are then used as a quarry, but the manor is partly spared.[1][2][4][5]
1490. Guillaume de La Baume dies without heirs.[5]
16th century. The manor serves as a model for the bailiffs' residences that the State of Fribourg builds at Romont, Rue and Surpierre.[1][2]
16th-19th century. Patrician families of Fribourg, the de Castella, de Boccard, de Reynold and de Weck, own the estate and use the manor as a hunting lodge.[3][5]
Late 19th century. A last attempt at conservation is made.[4]
1903. Trappist monks from the abbey of La Coudre, at Laval, buy the estate and set up a library in the tower. They make « Port-du-Salut » cheese there with the milk of 60 cows.[1][3][5]
1914. The monks leave Illens. The estate, 118 ha including 42 of forest, is sold to the municipality of Rossens, and the tower falls into ruin.[1][3][5]
2008. The Association Château d'Illens, chaired by former State Councillor Roselyne Crausaz, launches the rescue project.[4]
2015. In autumn, the first archaeological test trenches precede the conservation of the ruins. The cost of the works is then estimated at about 3.5 million francs.[1][2][4]
2016. Restoration work begins. In May the cantonal archaeology service draws the first reconstruction of the manor and its covered passage.[1][3]
2025. In March new test trenches are opened on the access path.[1]
Historic sites in Château d'Illens
Manor of Guillaume de La Baume. The rectangular building has three storeys above the ground floor, an octagonal stair tower at the north-west corner and a vaulted tuff cellar. The south face lines up four stacked fireplaces, the east face latrine turrets. The La Baume arms crown the entrance to the tower, and those of Guillaume and his wife Henriette de Longwy the third-floor door.[1][5]
Covered passage. A covered passage with a turret was built at the same time as the manor, which shows that the house had a roof from the start.[1][2]
Roof and scaffold. A flat, slightly overhanging roof protects the molasse from the rain. It rests on a permanent steel scaffold, designed by architect Raoul Andrey and engineer Jacques Dorthe, which bears on the pillars of the vault without being anchored in the walls. Walkways lead to the floors, and 55 tonnes of steel were installed by the Sottas company of Bulle. At the foot of the building, 243 m³ of rubble were cleared.[3]
Site of national importance. The site is rated of national importance. The Association Château d'Illens looks after its conservation and presentation.[1][2]
Remains in Château d'Illens
Medieval castle and enclosure. Of the keep only a core of rubble masonry remains. The enclosure wall, on the west and north, stood 6 to 7 m high on levelled rock, with buttresses built by a technique described by Vitruvius. Excavation revealed two phases of occupation, including a forge identified by its iron hammer scale, and a well or cistern cut into the molasse.[1][2]
Dispersed staircase and fittings. The tower's spiral staircase was dismantled and is now at the castle of Farvagny. Panelling and fragments of fireplaces may survive in nearby buildings.[3]
Medieval village. Remains of a medieval village still lie buried in the forest.[4]
Legends of Château d'Illens
Conon and Isaure. A romantic legend, that of Conon and Isaure, inspired a popular song by Abbé Bovet.[1]
The tunnel. A tunnel is said to have linked Illens to the castle of Rue or that of Oron, more than 25 km away.[1]
The treasure. A treasure is said to be hidden near the site.[1]
Sources
- Association Château d'Illens, « Histoire »
- État de Fribourg, Service archéologique (SAEF), « Le "Château" d'Illens et ses alentours vus par les archéologues » (mise à jour du 11.01.2024)
- Le Temps, « Sur la Sarine, la plus belle ruine de Suisse romande dévoile ses secrets »
- Dominique Meylan, « Le château d'Illens sauvé par quelques passionnés », La Gruyère, 16.07.2015
- Manuel Greca, « Rossens : une commune de la Sarine en expansion ? », travail de maturité (avril 2011), d'après Robert Ayer, « Rossens et Illens à travers les âges » (2008), publié par la commune de Gibloux
Other villages near Château d'Illens
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