Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Turluron, also called Tholoronum, is a medieval building attested as early as 1314 by a written transaction, but whose origins date back to the year thousand. Built on a volcanic hill overlooking Billom in the Puy-de-Dôme, it was one of the four counties of Auvergne dedicated to the exercise of justice. Its present ruins include the remains of a chapel given in 1259 to the bishop of Clermont by the Benedictine Prior of Cunlhat. This site, which is now partly invaded by vegetation, asks historians questions due to the apparent absence of conventional defences such as flank towers or archeres.

The castle underwent major transformations, especially in the seventeenth century, as evidenced by its large windows which mask earlier Romanesque or Gothic openings. The bolt holes aligned on the walls suggest the past existence of wooden studs, while landfill arches and coatings recall techniques inspired by Italy, possibly introduced by a 1970s owner. The latter, feuded with history, had restored the site, although the density of the vegetation today hides the exterior ramparts. A discrete scald and constructive details betray its complex architectural evolution.

The accessibility of the castle is variable: a steep and slippery road on the west side, formerly used for paragliding, coexists with forbidden accesses (such as that from the north since 2021) or with little maintenance (south and east). These paths, passing through vineyards, a forest or fields near Billom Station, reflect its progressive isolation. Despite its state of ruin, the site retains puzzles, such as the absence of visible defensive systems, which question its original function and its successive changes.

An architectural anecdote reveals that the walls of the 15th and 16th centuries were often poorly constructed, with rubble covered with coating to reduce costs. The broken lintels of the windows suggest an imperfect mastery of the techniques of the era, while the discharge arches could result from Italian influences reported by a traveller owner. These elements, combined with the windows added in front of older bays, illustrate a history of successive reuses and adaptations, typical of medieval castles transformed in modern times.

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