Fief of the barony of La Tour, whose archives are unfortunately long gone, the castle of Vertrieu appears only late in the texts.
The old castle commanded an important pass between the lower and Bugey Crémieu Island.
Also, the Romans first, men of the Middle Ages then, had built military structures. In front of Saint-Sorlin, stood a long and bellicose replica dolphins were masters of the two fortresses. When the counts of Savoy moved to Saint-Sorlin, the weather was fortunately past struggles.
The fortified house Vertrieu is mentioned in an act of 1289, then in the hands of nobles and Guionet Johannet La Balme. Simple fortified house, so it is designated in the contract of homage to the Dauphin, 15 May 1361, by Jean de La Balme noble. The following year, another act of homage, of June 22, 1362, on loan from noble Amblard La Balme confirmed the appointment. Indeed, the rights of high justice were related to the possession of the castles and manors of Quirieu and La Balme, given September 16, 1423 in what then powerful lord of Grolée Humbert, bailiff and seneschal of Lyon Macon. In 1458, a revision of lights carried by the Accounting Chamber of Dauphiné, provides another name Johannes nobilis Balma, dominus domus of Vertriaco fortis. In brief they are, these ratings should be compared with findings that suggest a quick visit to the site.
The keep of the 13th century, essential part of the ruins, was reinforced by curtains and fortifications later, mainly in the 15th century, where several stones or lintels are carved the arms of the family of La Balme: "Golden the band gules, in chief a silver star. "
At the end of the 15th century, Françoise de La Balme, lady Vertrieu, only daughter of La Balme Amblard, esquire, lord of Vertrieu, married Claude de La Poype, lord of Serrières. Until the end of the Ancien Regime, the lordship of Vertrieu remain in the hands of the family of La Poype. Between 1638 and 1664, Abel La Poype, Earl of Serrières built, along the Rhone, the modern castle Vertrieu, thus ending the permanent occupation of the ancient fortified house. In the course of XVIlIe century, the manor was sold to Vertrieu Bathéon Leonardo, a Lyon family who had participated in the Consulate of the city.
In 1788, Mr. De Bathéon Vertrieu was military governor of the city of Vienna. It should also be noted that the first castle Vertrieu does not cease, during the 19th century, to be maintained by the family of Roullière, heiress of Bathéon Vertrieu. Two buttresses built to support the dungeon demonstrated. Remarkably, the old castle, and particularly his Tower Guards with its slate roof, is visible from all directions of the valley (Ain, Isere, and the four cardinal points).
Also the old castle was used as a stone quarry when he ceased to be inhabited. You can see mullioned windows and carved lintels in the village.
In modern castle, a corner stone, carved and recut, updated during the restoration of the tower south west, in 1974, proves that the old castle was already used as a quarry in the early eighteenth, when construction of the tower. Fortunately, there are in the region close to many real stone quarries, and the old castle has seen limited looting.
Today, after a successful restoration, the old castle was inhabited again.
