Montfalcon family

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Montfalcon Family
Blason fr montfalcon.svg
Family coat of arms.
Place of origin Albanais
TitlesGovernor of Savoy (1583), lords
MembersCengle, Cevins, Chitry, Flaxieu, la Pesse, Mionaz, Montfalcon, Pierre-Charve, Roasson, Rumilly, Saint-Pierre-de-Soucy, Sillans, Tessy
Traditions Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg
Cadet branchesMontfalcon de Flaxieu

The Montfalcon family is a noble lineage from Savoy, originally from the Albanais region.

Contents

According to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland , the Montfalcon family established in Compesières (canton of Geneva) traces its origins to Novalaise, which distinguishes it from the Savoyard Montfalcon family. However, some authors regard it as a branch that settled in Geneva. The family name has at times been confused with Montfaucon  [ fr ] in Franche-Comté, as well as with the title of Montfalcon in Dauphiné, which belonged to the de Brosses family.

History

Origins and early members

Montfalcon is located in the present-day commune of La Biolle in Savoy. [1]

The family owned the Château de Montfalcon  [ fr ] (Mons Falconis), from which it derived its name. The castle occupied a strategic position controlling the road linking Annecy, in the Genevois region, to Chambéry in Savoy, [2] passing through Albens and Rumilly, as well as the routes leading toward Lake Bourget. [3] It served as the seat of a castellany that included the present-day communes of La Biolle, Albens, Saint-Germain-la-Chambotte, and Saint-Girod, along with the castles of Longefan  [ fr ], Flaxieu, and Vhitry.

The earliest known reference to the Montfalcon family dates to 1084, at the foundation of the priory of Saint-Innocent (Brison-Saint-Innocent) on Lake Bourget. [4] [3] This event records a donation made by “Gautier de Montfalcon, vir nobilis,” with the consent of his wife Bulgrade and their sons. [5] [6] [2] In 1092 and 1112, Bonpair, son of Gautier and lord of Montfalcon, also made donations to the Abbey of Aulps in Chablais. [7]

As vassals of the Counts of Maurienne, members of the family continued to appear in regional records; Willelme, a knight, is mentioned as a witness to Count Humbert III in a charter confirming privileges to the Charterhouse of Arvières  [ fr ] in Bugey around 1149. [8]

On January 12, 1252, Bernard Farguil de Montfalcon transferred his rights and properties of the lordship of Montfalcon to Béatrice of Savoy. [4] By 1286, the House of Savoy had acquired rights over the lordship, [3] while the Montfalcon  [ fr ] family maintained possession of a fortified residence near the castle. [9]

The family formed several branches: Montfalcon-Flaxieu (Bugey), Montfalcon-Roasson, Montfalcon-Saint-Pierre, and Montfalcon-Novalaise (Savoyard Bugey). [10] [2]

Flaxieu branch

The Flaxieu branch of the Montfalcon family originated in the 14th century with the acquisition of the lordship of Flaxieu near Belley in Bugey. [11] Historian Andenmatten (2018) described this branch as being in a period of ascent, particularly due to its marriage alliances. Guillaume de Montfalcon’s marriage to Marguerite of the influential Chevron-Villette  [ fr ] family facilitated the rise of their descendants to episcopal positions. [11] [12]

Genealogists Guichenon (1650) [13] and La Chesnaye Des Bois (1869) [14] proposed that the Montfalcon family of Bugey descended from Pierre de Montfalcon, knight and lord of Bourgoing in Dauphiné, who was allegedly a member of the Montfaucon family, Counts of Montbéliard  [ fr ], although both noted the lack of evidence supporting this claim.

Lordship of Cevins

In the 14th century, Emeric de Montfalcon married Bernarde de Cevins, the sole heiress of her line, [15] who later appears to have married Ogier, the natural son of Count Aymon of Savoy, after 1364. [16]

The title of Cevins passed through the marriage of Antoinette de Montfalcon, Lady of Cevins and Miolans, to Amédée de Crescherel (died before 1453). [15] It later returned to the Montfalcon family when Charles-François de Montfalcon married Françoise Hyéronime Seyssel, Lady of Cevins, in 1683. [15]

The lineage concluded when Françoise Hyéronime de Montfalcon de Saint-Pierre married Victor-Prosper de Carelly de Bassy in 1754, whose title of Count of Cevins lapsed during the French Revolution. [15]

Heraldry

Blason fr montfalcon.svg The coat of arms of the Montfalcon family is blazoned as:

Quarterly 1 and 4 argent an eagle displayed sable, armed and beaked or; 2 and 3 ermine and gules. [17] [18] [19]

Titles

The lords of Montfalcon held the following titles at various periods: [17]

Offices

Family members served as castellans of: [21]

Filiation

Genealogist Amédée de Foras  [ fr ] detailed the complete lineage of the Montfalcon-Flaxieu family, along with the Montfalcon-Roasson and Montfalcon-Saint-Pierre branches, and also mentioned a branch established in Novalaise (Savoyard Bugey). [23]

The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland states that the Montfalcon family established in Compesières originated from Novalaise but does not indicate a connection with the earlier branch. According to a genealogy compiled by Auguste de Montfalcon, the Compesières family descends from the Novalaise branch identified by de Foras. [23]

According to Deonna (1928): [23]

Montfalcon de Flaxieu Branch: [24] [14]

Geneva Branch: [23]

Notable figures

Laity

Clergy

Possessions

Non-exhaustive list of holdings owned outright or held as fiefs by the Montfalcon family:

See also

References

  1. ↑ de Foras 1900 , p. 92
  2. 1 2 3 "deMontfalcon". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Brocard, Michèle; Lagier-Bruno, Lucien; Palluel-Guillard, André (1984). Histoire des communes savoyardes : Aix-les-Bains et ses environs - Les Bauges - La Chartreuse - La Combe de Savoie - Montmélian [History of Savoyard municipalities: Aix-les-Bains and its surroundings - Les Bauges - La Chartreuse - La Combe de Savoie - Montmélian](PDF) (in French). Vol. 2. Roanne: Éditions Horvath. pp. 71–77. ISBN   978-2-7171-0310-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Blondel, Louis (1956). Châteaux de l'ancien diocèse de Genève[Castles of the former diocese of Geneva] (in French). Vol. 7. Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 138.
  5. ↑ Lullin, Paul; Le Fort, Charles (1866). Régeste genevois : Répertoire chronologique et analytique des documents imprimés relatifs à l'histoire de la ville et du diocèse de Genève avant l'année 1312 [Régeste genevois: Chronological and analytical directory of printed documents relating to the history of the city and diocese of Geneva prior to 1312] (in French). Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Genève. p. 62. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ Brocard, Michèle (1995). Les châteaux de Savoie[The castles of Savoy] (in French). Cabédita. p. 63. ISBN   9782882951427.
  7. ↑ Lullin & Le Fort 1866 , p. 69
  8. ↑ Lullin & Le Fort 1866 , p. 91
  9. ↑ "Kronos". Archéologie, Histoire et Témoignages de l’Albanais (in French). 2016.
  10. ↑ de Foras 1900
  11. 1 2 Andenmatten, Bernard (2018). "Aymon de Montfalcon : être évêque vers 1500" [Aymon de Montfalcon: bishop around 1500]. Études de lettres (in French) (3–4): 23–46. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Kohler, André (1913). "Le lambel des armes de Sébastien de Montfalcon" [The label of the coat of arms of Sébastien de Montfalcon]. Archives héraldiques suisses (in French) (27): 193–197. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  13. ↑ Guichenon 1650 , p. 174
  14. 1 2 de La Chesnaye Des Bois, François-Alexandre Aubert (1869). Dictionnaire de la Noblesse [Dictionary of the Nobility] (in French). Vol. XIV. pp. 261–264. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Hudry, Marius (1982). Histoire des communes savoyardes : Albertville et son arrondissement[History of Savoyard municipalities: Albertville and its district] (in French). Vol. 4. Roanne: Éditions Horvath. p. 66. ISBN   978-2-7171-0263-5.
  16. ↑ L. Cox, Eugene (2015). The Green Count of Savoy : Amedeus VI and Transalpine Savoy in the Fourteenth-Century. Princeton University Press. p. 354. ISBN   978-1-4008-7499-6 . Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  17. 1 2 de Foras 1900 , p. 91
  18. ↑ Mémoires de l'Académie de Savoie[Memoirs of the Academy of Savoy] (in French). 1869. p. 161.
  19. ↑ Aubert de Vertot, René (1726). Histoire des chevaliers hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem, appelez depuis chevaliers de Rhodes, et aujourd’hui chevaliers de Malte[History of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem, later known as the Knights of Rhodes, and today as the Knights of Malta] (in French). Vol. IV. Paris: Rolin. p. 44.
  20. 1 2 Rouget, A; Vachez, A (1895). Monuments historiques de France publiés par départements : Haute-Savoie [Historic monuments of France published by department: Haute-Savoie] (in French). Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  21. ↑ "SA - Comptes des châtellenies, des subsides, des revenus et des judicatures" [SA - Accounts of the castellanies, subsidies, revenues, and judicatures]. Archives départementales de la Savoie (in French). Archived from the original on June 12, 2018.
  22. ↑ Gonthier, Jean-François (1881). Les Châteaux et la chapelle des Allinges [The Castles and Chapel of Les Allinges] (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Deonna 1928 , p. 31
  24. ↑ Guichenon 1650 , pp. 174 et seq.
  25. 1 2 "Sébastien de Montfalcon". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  26. ↑ Brocard, Michèle (1995). Les châteaux de Savoie[The castles of Savoy]. Sites et Villages (in French). Yens-sur-Morges: Éditions Cabédita. pp. 218–219. ISBN   978-2-88295-142-7.
  27. 1 2 "Aymon de Montfalcon". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  28. 1 2 3 Zumkeller, Dominique (2008). "Montfalcon, Jean [de". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Zumkeller, Dominique (2008). "Montfalcon, Louis de". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  30. 1 2 Zumkeller, Dominique (2008). "Louis-Apollonie deMontfalcon". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  31. ↑ Grillet, Jean-Louis (1807). Dictionnaire historique, littéraire et statistique des départements du Mont-Blanc et du Léman, contenant l'histoire ancienne et moderne de la Savoie[Historical, literary, and statistical dictionary of the departments of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, containing the ancient and modern history of Savoy] (in French). Vol. 3. Chambéry: J.F. Puthod. pp. 110–113.
  32. ↑ "Jean de Montfalcon". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  33. ↑ Charrière; Martignier; Crousaz (1883). Répertoire des familles vaudoises qualifiées, de l'an 1000 à l'an 1800 [Directory of qualified families in Vaud, from the year 1000 to the year 1800] (in French). Impr. G. Bridel. pp. 155–156. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  34. ↑ Vachet, Adolphe; Coullié, Pierre Hector (1897). Les anciens chanoines-comtes de Lyon [The former canon-counts of Lyon] (in French). Lyon: E. Vitte. pp. 187–188. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

Bibliography

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