Château de la Barre, Medieval castle in Brégnier-Cordon, France

Château de la Barre stands on the western slope of Mont de Cordon, combining 14th-century fortifications with a main building from the 20th century. The structure maintains its original defensive layout with preserved fortification elements.

The castle was built as a fortification to control the Rhône corridor and later served as a toll station and judicial court. Its elevated position allowed surveillance of all traffic moving through the region.

The castle's name, La Barre, comes from its former role as a court of justice and toll collection point on the Rhône. In 1826 the seminarian Antoine Berthet, tutor to the Cordon children, was dismissed after seducing Henriette de Cordon; he shot the mayor's wife in the church at Brangues and was executed at Grenoble in 1828. Stendhal drew on the case for Le Rouge et le Noir.

The castle sits on an elevated position, which affects both the views and the approach to the site. Visitors should keep in mind that the hillside location impacts mobility and how to plan walking routes.

Antoine Berthet, a seminarian from Brangues, was hired in 1826 by the Count of Cordon as tutor to his children. He shot not Henriette de Cordon but the mayor of Brangues' wife in the church at Brangues; he was executed in Grenoble in 1828. Stendhal drew on the case for Le Rouge et le Noir.