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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château de la Crête is a castle with its origins dating back to the 14th century, located in the commune of Audes, in the department of Allier (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). Built in a ravine and surrounded by an artificial pond, it was initially organized around a closed courtyard, with two L-house bodies flanked by round or square towers. Some architectural elements suggest a construction between the 14th and 15th centuries, while commons and a chapel, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, completed the whole, using a mixture of local ochre and red sandstone.

In the 17th century, the castle belonged to the Luylier family of the Souchère. His most famous owner was François de Beaucaire de Péguillon (1514–1591), bishop of Metz, born and died in this place. The old castle, inhabited until the Revolution, gradually fell into ruins. Between 1895 and 1905, a new castle was built in the lower courtyard, adopting an eclectic style combining neo-Gothic and Italian classicism (archive galleries, door windows). Together, including medieval ruins and modern buildings, was listed as historical monuments in 2006.

The site illustrates the architectural evolution of a Bourbon seigneury, from its medieval defensive role to its transformation into a residence of pleasure in the 20th century. Local materials (ochre and red sandstone) and topography (dominance on the forest valley) underline its territorial anchor. Today, the private property, the castle preserves traces of its original defensive system, such as the bridge and courtines, while the new house embodies the historicist tastes of the late 19th century.

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