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Origin and history

The castle of Ligones, located in Lezoux (Puy-de-Dôme) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, was built under the reign of Louis XIV in a 115-hectare park. Inspired by Marly Castle, it presented a square plan centered on a circular salon with a dome, surrounded by French gardens and sumptuous outbuildings. Its lava construction in Volvic, its stucco interior decorations and its pond gardens made it an ephemeral masterpiece of auvergnate architecture.

Acquired in 1683 by Claude de Chazerat, a military engineer, the estate was enlarged and embellished by his family until the Revolution. The castle, symbol of the power of the Chazerat, was demolished in 1794 by revolutionary order, its materials sold to finance a public premises. Only part of the park, "Island", remains today as a municipal property of Lezoux, testifying to its fascinating past.

The park of Ligones included remarkable elements such as a grotto lined with mica and amethysts, described as a place of dazzling night celebrations. The gardens, designed on a geometric plane with embroidery beds and pieces of water, were completed in 1785. Their layout reflected the influence of English-speaking gardens, contrasting with the classical rigour of the castle.

Inside the castle, organised around a large central living room, included apartments capable of accommodating up to 24 people. The decorations blended paintings, stuccos and tapestries, with rooms dedicated to the seasons, like a summer salon decorated with Corinthian columns. The use of Volvic lava, a local material, gave the building a unique dark color, while the commons were covered with white.

The destruction of Ligones in 1794 marked the end of a century of splendor. The estate, fragmented and sold as a national property, disappeared almost entirely, with the exception of "Island", a wooded and humid area transformed into a landscaped park. The archives, including plans and descriptions of the 18th century, allow today to reconstruct virtually this " Versailles auvergnat", symbol of a lost architectural heritage.

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