Fléchères Castle

From history to cinema

Its strategic position meant that it was considered a stronghold from Roman times through to the Middle Ages. When it passed into the hands of Jean de Sève in 1606, the château became a handsome neo-classical chateau. Jean de Sève, a staunch Calvinist, survivor of the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre and Treasurer of France, was a powerful Lyonnais alderman and Provost of Merchants. Once ennobled, nothing could be more natural than to buy a château and make it the symbol of his success.

Despite its ostentatious beauty, the château is also a showcase for the Protestant temple, which discreetly occupies the central part and the top floors, the second floor being reserved for living quarters.

Its state of preservation made it a remarkable film set, which was featured in several fine cinematographic productions:

1968: Le diable par la queue (Madeleine Renaud, Yves Montand, Maria Schell, Marthe Keller, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Pieplu)
2009: La Marquise des Ombres with Anne Parillaud
2010: le Gang des Lyonnais by Olivier Marchal, who explores an obscure page in the life of the château.
2010: Isabelle Disparue, TV film with Lune Renaud and Bernard Le Coq.

The place is majestic, beautifully decorated, full of color and bathed in light. The château boasts fine furnishings and magnificent frescoes. The park is also well worth a visit.

More than just décor

The château’s moat is impressive, as is the building’s size, exceptional for its time, which was designed to accommodate the 250 m2 of the Temple.

Nevertheless, the sublime frescoes painted to the glory of the de Sève family by Italian artist Pietro Ricchi perfectly express the Seigneur de Sève’s desire to show off his success.

The château’s fine architecture, monumental staircase, bedrooms and grand kitchen will delight the eye, as will its beautiful gardens, redesigned as an English park in the 19th century.

It’s a place well worth visiting, as it provides a magnificent backdrop for the imagination.

35hectares

Park area

250m2

surface area of the Protestant church

19years

Building the castle

13euros

Adults (<7 years: free)

GOOD TO KNOW

A dark tale of hoodlums

In 1972, the Château de Fléchères was purchased by a well-known member of the police force. Joanny Chavel, better known as “Gros Jeannot”, a member of the Lyonnais Gang.

Rumor has it that he used his share of the legendary Hôtel des Postes robbery in Strasbourg to buy this jewel and begin a vast renovation project to turn the château into a cultural and exhibition center.

In the summer of 1972, he held a sumptuous inaugural party in the château, to dazzle the hundred or so guests, an eclectic gathering of mobsters and policemen. Other rather sulphurous evenings took place at the château.

Jeannot le Gros disappeared in 1973 without a trace. He was declared dead in 2010.

No loot has ever been found. In the end, the only treasure you’ll find on the tour is the château itself!

Castle of Fléchères

Elevation : 197m

D 933, 130 allée de Fléchères, 01480 Fareins