Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Cavade, located in Polminhac in the Cantal (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is a building whose current structure dates mainly from the 1st quarter of the 17th century. The date of 1602, engraved on the tympanum of the tower door, marks a major reshaping campaign. This castle succeeds a medieval building, which bears witness to elements re-used as starters and aircraft differences on the facades. Its almost square plan includes two circular towers, one of which is located in the southeast, the staircase, as well as a two-storey main house body on the cellar, complemented by an attic.

In the 18th century, before 1811, a second body of smaller houses was attached to the main building. The 19th century saw the addition of two barns-stables (one in the north-east rebuilt after 1811, the other in the south-west built ex nihilo) and an adjacent building to the east, housing a room with oven. These extensions reflect a gradual adaptation to local agricultural and residential needs. The facades and roofs of the castle have been protected since 1 July 1986, the date of their inscription in historical monuments.

The architecture of the castle thus mixes medieval traces (sculpted re-uses, scauguettes) with Renaissance elements (conical towers, circular perron). The northwest tower, cylindrical, and the pavilion roof of the main body contrast with subsequent additions, such as the covered gable of the second house or the dome of the dovecote. These strata illustrate the evolution of a seigneurial estate towards a mixed exploitation, characteristic of the Auvergne countryside.

The location of the castle, in the canton of Polminhac (near Aurillac), is part of a territory marked by breeding and agro-pastoral activities from the Middle Ages. The castles of this region, often remodeled in the 16th-17th centuries, served as both noble residences and land management centres. The presence of an oven and barn-stables in the 19th century underscores this duality, between aristocratic heritage and adaptation to rural economic realities.

The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, Merimée base) highlight the heritage importance of the site, classified for its facades and roofs. The precise address, 1 La Cavade, and the Insee code of the municipality (15154) confirm its anchoring in the department of Cantal. However, no information is available on any owners or sponsors of the works, or on any current opening of the visit.

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