Remains of the Château des Lascaris

In 1261, Count Guillaume Pierre de Ventimiglia married in Constantinople Eudoxie Lascaris, daughter of the Eastern Greek Emperor Theodore II. The Pope gives him the privilege of quartering their arms: gules with a chief or; with those of the Lascaris: Or with a two-headed eagle Sable. This Count is sovereign of La Brigue, Briga in these times. His grandson, Guillaume Pierre II, and this by will of April 7, 1358, will then share his stronghold and thus allows his son Ludovic Lascaris in 1369 to give birth to the strain of LASCARIS-VINTIMILLE DA BRIGA.
The Lascaris de Tende and the Lascaris de La Brigue will officially separate, although they are cousins. A few years later, La Brigue depends on the County of Savoie, which is no longer considered a partner and an ally. The Lascaris de Tende will remain vassals of the counts of Provence...
It is then time to concretize the presence of Lascaris Da Briga, also, to claim a certain autonomy. Ludovic Lascaris needs a large residence for the lands of which he is the Lord.
The site is rather favourable: height and proximity to the source. The tower offers a view of the valleys to the west, south and east. At the time, this large fortified house was located exactly on the Turin-Nice road. Inside several apartments will be embellished by Catherine Lascaris da Briga in the 17th century. Also, a castle chapel will be built under the dedication of Our Lady of the Intercession.
In the 17th century an earthquake damaged the castle. In 1794, the revolutionary army ransacked and burned the castle, abandoning it to the test of time and looters...
Listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments since 1949, today only the remains of the castle remain. The first emergency works, notably on the tower, were carried out by the municipality in 1993. Then, in 1995, the association Patrimoine et Traditions Brigasques embarked on an ambitious challenge: to save Château Lascaris from oblivion.

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