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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Haute-Loire
  5. 43270 Allègre

  6. Ruins of the castle and land surrounding these ruins

 Ruins of the castle and land surrounding these ruins à Allègre en Haute-Loire

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château fort
Haute-Loire

Ruins of the castle and land surrounding these ruins

    8 Rue des Clostres
    43270 Allègre
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Ruines du château et terrain qui entoure ces ruines
Crédit photo : Torsade de Pointes - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1343
Armand IV baron d'Allègre
1361
Seat and death of Armand IV
1364-1365
Conflict of succession
1385
Donation to Morinot de Tourzel
XVe siècle
Architectural peak
15 novembre 1698
A devastating fire
11 décembre 1935
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Castle (ruins) and land surrounding these ruins (Box E 2): by order of 11 December 1935

Key figures

Armand IV d'Alègre - Baron d'Allègre First known lord, killed in 1361.
Alix de Chalençon - Widow of Armand IV Chassed and restored in 1365.
Jean Ier de Berry - Duke and protector Help Alix take over the castle.
Morinot de Tourzel - New Baron in 1385 Undertakes repairs.
Yves Ier de Tourzel - Son of Morinot Embellishes the castle (mâchicoulis).
Yves V de Tourzel - Owner in 1698 Witness of the castle fire.

Origin and history

The castle of Allègre, located in the commune of the same name in Haute-Loire, was erected at the end of the 14th century on a plan with three fortified enclosures. It became the seat of Auvergne's second barony and played a strategic role during the Hundred Years' War as well as during the conflicts against the League in 1593. Its current ruins, classified as historical monument since 1935, are limited mainly to the towers of the dungeon, the mâchicoulis of the round road and at the base of a tower of angle, remains of a once imposing ensemble.

The history of the castle has been marked by power struggles since the 14th century. In 1343, Armand IV d'Alègre became Baron, but he was killed in 1361 in a siege led by Thomas de La Marche. His widow, Alix de Chalençon, was expelled in 1364 by Bertrand de Saint-Nectaire, before taking over the castle in 1365 thanks to the intervention of John I of Berry. Upon the death of Alix in 1385, the Duke of Berry offered the baronie to Morinot de Tourzel, who undertook major renovation work, continued by his son Yves I, adding in particular a frieze of threaded machicolis.

The castle enjoyed its architectural climax in the 15th century, with 23 towers and one of the most beautiful in the region. However, a devastating fire on November 15, 1698, triggered by a violent wind fuelling the embers of a chimney, reduced much of the building to ashes in less than five hours. Despite attempts at restoration by Yves V de Tourzel and his son-in-law, the castle never rose completely. After the Revolution, it became communal property and served as a stone quarry.

Today, the ruins of the castle of Allegre, surrounded by their land, recall its glorious and tumultuous past. Ranked in 1935, the site offers a poignant testimony of medieval military architecture and feudal struggles that marked the Auvergne. The remains, though partial, allow to imagine the extent of the original building, symbol of the power of the barons of Light for centuries.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum