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Origin and history

Château-Dauphin is a medieval fortress built between 1190 and 1197 by Robert I, a dolphin of Auvergne, on the western edge of the lava flow of the Côme puy, in Pontgibaud. This castle, designed as a double dungeon (square and round), was a major stronghold of the Dauphiné d'Auvergne, with a seven towered enclosure. His name pays tribute to his founder, whose weapons adorned the place, and his central role in regional defence.

The fortress underwent major changes in the 15th century under Gilbert III Motier de La Fayette, Marshal of France and companion of Jeanne d'Arc. He strengthened the defences in 1438, enlarged the square dungeon, and rebuilt the enclosure after obtaining the permission of King Charles VII. However, the site suffered a devastating earthquake in 1490, damaging the castle, the church and the city. In the 17th century, the fortress was abandoned to a more modern building in the lower courtyard, marking the beginning of its degradation.

Confiscated during the Revolution as a national good, the castle was bought in 1886 by Caesar III of Pontgibaud, descendant of a line of owners since 1756. An ambitious restoration was carried out at the end of the 19th century by architect Jean-Bélisaire Moreau, disciple of Viollet-le-Duc, for the Count of Pontgibaud and his wife Noémie de Blangy. The interiors are embellished ( Maioli paints, woodwork), while the estate, formerly 3,000 hectares, is reduced to 45 hectares of wood. The castle now houses a museum of silver mines, recalling local mining since Roman times.

The estate includes a 16th century classified vegetable garden, renovated in the 18th century and mentioned by Michel de Montaigne in 1581 during his visit to Madame de La Fayette. Organized in terraces on three levels, this remarkable garden uses lava walls as thermal accumulators. Water jets, fed by a nearby source, date back to the 18th century. The site, labeled "Remarkable Garden", is being restored with the support of the state and local authorities.

Ranked a historic monument in 1889 and then declassified the same year, Château-Dauphin was finally registered in 1926 and reclassified in 1995. This classification protects the castle, its six enclosure towers (the seventh, the Clapiers tower, being in restoration), its commons, its well, its fountain, and its vegetable garden. The mine museum, located in the communes, traces the history of the extraction of galena (silver plum) in the valley of the Sioule, exploited from the eighth century and intensely in the nineteenth century, with 68 km of dug galleries.

Today, Château-Dauphin remains owned by the family of Germiny, descendant of the Counts of Pontgibaud. The site offers guided tours, cultural activities (craft markets, sound and light shows) and participates in events such as the "Estivals of volcanoes". Its architecture blends medieval elements (twelfth century, 15th century ramparts) and additions of the 19th and 20th centuries, testifying to nearly nine centuries of history.

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