Château de Menthon

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The Château de Menthon is located in the commune of Menthon-Saint-Bernard on the banks of Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie département of France. The castle overlooks the small village of Menthon-Saint-Bernard, said to be the birth place of St. Bernard.

The name Menthon comes from the Cceltic men-dun, which means "stone fortress". Though the current castle was built in the 13th century there has been a fortress of some kind at the site for over 2000 years. The castle has been owned by the same family for over 800 years and underwent heavy remodeling in the 1800s. A library, containing over 18,000 books, is included among its many beautifully decorated rooms.

The three large towers date back to the Middle Ages. The castle was transformed during the Renaissance when apartments replaced the round walk between the towers. The general appearance of the castle was unchanged until 1740, when several alterations were carried out to increase comfort. Works between 1880 and World War I gave the building its present appearance, reminiscent of the style of Louis II of Bavaria, with the creation of turrets, a half-timbered gallery and interior refurbishment.^[1]

Château de Menthon has been listed since 1989 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Contents 1 See also 2 External links 3 Sources 4 References

[edit] See also

• List of castles in France

[edit] External links

• Ministry of Culture listing for Château de Menthon (French)
• Ministry of Culture photos

[edit] Sources

• [1]^{[dead link]}
• Serveur Savoie: The Château of Menthon St-Bernard
• Ministry of Culture(French)

[edit] References