Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Roche-la-Molière Castle, listed as a historic monument in 1985, has had several influential owners. In the 14th century, it belonged to the Forezian family of Lavieu, then passed to the Augerolles (or Ogerolles) by marriage alliances. In 1584, Antoine d'Augerolles and his son John were murdered by their cousin Aymar de Saint-Priest, an event marking local history pardoned by Henry III.

In the 17th century, the estate changed hands several times: the Capponi de Feugerolles gave it in 1677 to Jean-François Anselmet des Bruneaux, before he returned to the Charpin de Feugerolles by exchange in 1683. That same year, Pierre-Hector de Charpin and his wife sold him to Pierre Duon, president of the Treasurers of France in Lyon. The castle was then transferred to the Perrin de Vieux-Bourg, then to the Girard before being acquired in 1765 by the Duke of Béthune-Chârost.

In 1772 the merchant Jacques Neyron, the last seigneur of Roche-la-Molière, bought the estate and carried out important interior works there. After serving briefly as a college in 1951, the castle became a cultural space managed by the Local History Society. Today, it houses exhibitions and a public park, while its medieval vaults bear witness to its past.

Protected elements include facades, roofs, an 18th-century staircase, a northern rampart and old kitchens. The site, owned by the municipality, is visited by reservation, offering an overview of the castral architecture and the seigneurial history of the region.

External links