Maison Rouge (Conflans): A Medieval Savoyard Palace in Albertville
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Palace
On this page6 sections
History
Maison Rouge (Conflans) is a fourteenth-century palace in Albertville, France, built in the Italian Gothic style for the County of Savoy. Constructed in 1397 for Pierre Voisin, treasurer to Count Amadeus VI of Savoy, it stood within the fortified borough of Conflans, which controlled the meeting point of the Tarentaise, Arly, and Savoie valleys.
Medieval foundation
Conflans occupied a strategic position near the confluence of the Arly and Isère rivers, along routes connecting the saltworks of Moûtiers with Italy. In this setting, Maison Rouge served as a palace associated with the County of Savoy. The fortified house later passed among several medieval families, including the Voisin, Tondu, Riddes, and Verger families.
Convent, protection, and museum
At a later stage, the house accommodated a convent of Bernardine nuns, women religious associated with the Cistercian tradition. They were expelled during the dechristianization connected with the French Revolution, when religious institutions were suppressed.
Maison Rouge received protection as a French historic monument in 1904, a legal status recognizing buildings and sites for their architectural or historical importance. The northern pavilion received the same protection in 1913. Since 1936, the municipally owned palace has housed the Conflans Museum of Art and History, whose collections address local rural heritage, the history of Savoy and Albertville, winter sports, popular culture, and Christian art.
Remains
Palace building
Maison Rouge occupies the central Grande Place of Conflans on a footprint measuring 12 by 14 metres. The building is constructed entirely of red brick, a method traditional in neighboring Italy but unusual in Savoy. Its medieval Italian Gothic character is expressed in pointed-arch windows with finely carved detailing.
Northern pavilion
A separate pavilion stands to the north of the palace. This northern structure forms part of the protected historic complex and received its own historic-monument designation in 1913.
Nearby sites
