We find local histories and legends fascinating and sometimes they are a chance to uncover little-known stories that are certainly worth listening to. The Maison Guillot in Andilly is now open to the public. This 17th-century building made from local molasse and sandstone from Mount Sion, was most probably an outbuilding of the Château de Saint-Symphorien, of which there are no remains today. It resembles a fortified house due to its unique architecture and picture-perfect appearance. This historic building has been passed through the hands of many notables of Savoie. One of them was René Saget, former magistrate and mayor of Annecy. He is well-known for the role he played in the canonisation of his friend, Saint François de Sales, in 1665. In 1711, the house was acquired by Pierre-Etienne Guillot, a lawyer from Evian.
He used it as a country residence for his family to enjoy the peace and quiet of the village of Saint-Symphorien. Very quickly, the Guillot family became attached to the village and decided to spend most of the year there. This was the beginning of a real connection between the village and the family, who even decided to bury their deceased relatives at the parish church above the hamlet. In 1778, Étienne Burdallet, noble notary of Cruseilles, stayed at the house and while there, he purchased the nearby Domaine de la Cure. This estate was sold as a national asset at auction in the town of Carouge, when the town was still a part of Savoie. Representing Andilly at the Allobroges Assembly, Étienne Burdallet played a role in announcing the annexation of Savoie to France in 1792. It was only natural that the Maison Guillot would take on a cultural vocation, considering its cultural past, original buttress architectural structures and carved ogee arch windows.
Watercolor
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