Château des Rubins – Alps Observatory

Built in the 14th century as a fortified house, the Château des Rubins was spared by the Revolution and by the fire of April 19, 1840 which ravaged Sallanches. In the 16th century it served as a residence for the nobles of Loche, bailiffs of Faucigny. Its massive facades are brightened up by large Renaissance mullioned windows. Its square tower is topped with a gable roof which rests on a crenellation. Its iron-clad ogival door gives access to a beautiful spiral staircase. Transformed into an apartment in the 19th century, it was then purchased in 1978 by the city. Since 1985, the Mountain Nature Center (CNM) has taken over the premises to design an interpretation center for the Alpine natural heritage, with presentation of biodiversity, entertainment and educational activities, exhibitions and conferences. The renovation of the base of the building and the various extensions carried out in 1997 appeared outdated and inconsistent with the heritage identity of the castle, which is why a large-scale restoration was undertaken, with a view to upgrading the interiors, bring access for people with reduced mobility into compliance, and renovate certain openings as well as the entrance façade. The architect duo Pierre Janin and the PNR workshop stepped up to achieve this ambitious objective. After two years of work, the Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes opens its doors in July 2021 with an innovative scenography made up of around fifty interactive modules spread over four floors and as many themes. Some important dates: 1310: Hugues, dauphin of Viennois and baron of Faucigny, granted the inhabitants of Sallanches their first privileges, a sign of the city's prosperity. 1339: The parish had 15 strong houses and 20 noble families. 1563: At the end of the 16th century, it belonged to the Loche family, bailiff of Faucigny. 18th century: it belongs to the de Chassey family who sold it in 1754 to the chapter of the collegiate church of Sallanches. 1730: The Château des Rubins belonged to Etienne de Choulay 1747: The ecclesiastical institution (Chapter of Sallanches) acquired the castle from Philibert de Chasseys and Georgine de Menthon de Choulex. 1840: The Château des Rubins is miraculously spared from the flames of the great fire. It was from this date that the castle was called “gray cats” because three old ladies dressed in gray lived there. 1978: The castle is purchased by the City of Sallanches where the Mountain Nature Center is located until 2019. 1997: It will be modified and will have two additional levels with a passageway which will allow the link with the old building. 2021: After 2 years of work, it now houses the Alps Observatory, a museum on mountains, environment, ethnology, etc.