Description of the attraction
The founder of the city of Yverdon-les-Bains, which at that time was simply called Yverdon, Duke Pierre of Savoy, to protect it, built a powerful castle with thick walls and round towers on the banks of the Thiel River. The castle rises on the central square of the city and adjoins the town hall.
On the site of the present building there was a large round tower built in 1235, which belonged to Amed III de Molfacon-Montbelard, seigneur d'Obre. In 1260, Amed III sold it to Peter of Savoy. This deal was probably not voluntary.
The castle in the shape of a quadrangle was built in 1258-1265 by the freemasons - father and son Jean and Jacques de Saint-Georges. At the end of the 13th century, Beatrice de Fassigny, daughter of Peter of Savoy, with the consent of her husband, returned the castle and all the adjacent lands to the son of Amed III, Jean Ira de Molfacon.
In 1536, when the city of Yverdin became part of the canton of Bern, the local castle became the seat of governors sent from Bern. This continued until 1798, when the Republic of Helvetia was founded by the French. The castle became the property of the state.
In 1805, after the founding of the canton of Vaud, the city of Yverdon bought the old castle and handed it over to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi to open an educational institution here. Pestalozzi, a famous teacher, enthusiastically took up the education of street children, discovering and developing their talents in a variety of scientific fields. The Pestalozzi School operated in the castle until 1825. Then there was a short break, and in 1838 an ordinary school was opened here, which existed until 1974, that is, for more than a century.
In the 20th century, the Yverdon Castle was reconstructed twice: in 1920, it was restored by the architect Ottto Schmid, and in 1956 by Pierre Margot.
Currently, the castle houses the Historical Museum, which was founded in 1764. It is dedicated to the history of the region. Particularly interesting is the section dedicated to the eras of the Celts, ancient Romans and Burgundians.
