Château de Mont

Château de Mont dates back to the late 15th or early 16th century. In 1517, it became the main residence of the barons of Mont-le-Grand. When the Bernese conquered the region in 1536, the third husband of Claude de Saint-Triviers, François de Bellegarde, was recognised by the occupier as Lord of Mont-le-Grand. The Steiger family, last dynasty of the Lords of Mont, acquired the place in 1553, and the seigneury remained in their hands until the Revolution. The estate was then sold to the financier Joseph Bouër, member of the Geneva Council, who was originally French. His wife welcomed many Genevans when their city was threatened by the French, which led to a very lively social life at the Château. In 1809, the Bernese Karl Jenner acquired the Château. It was then handed down to Charles-Louis de Watteville and sold in 1845 to Frédéric Bouffard. In 1895, Bouffard’s heirs sold it to three winemakers from Mont, Henri Meylan, Henri Rosset and Henri Renaud, called the “three Henris” in the village. Three years later, Charles Mérinat, from the municipality of Ollon, acquired the Château, but couldn’t repay his loans and therefore had to sell it on January 5, 1911. Ernest Naef therefore became the new owner. The Château was then handed down to François Naef, grandson of Ernest and son of Bernard. After his death in 2005, Odile Naef, Marie Turrettini and Frédéric Naef inherited the Château.