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Origin and history

Chanterelle Castle, located in Saint-Vincent-de-Salers in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a strong house dating from the first half of the 15th century. It is a typical example of the large fortified regional houses, with a rectangular plan, scauguettes at the north and east angles, and a round road on crows. This type of construction reflects the defensive and residential needs of local noble families at that time.

The first mention of a noble family linked to Chanterelle dates back to 1450, when Delphine de Chanterelle married Antoine de Saillans. This marriage marks the entrance of the castle into written history, although its initial construction was earlier. The monument was entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, in 1638-1641, as evidenced by the archives and dendrochronological analyses of the oak frame.

The castle, owned by noble families of Haute-Auvergne until 1918, then underwent a period of abandonment before being bought and restored from 1962 by Hans-Gunther Eggert. Since then, it has been preserved as a testimony to the civil and military architecture of the region. It was registered as a historical monument by order of 5 June 1946, thus recognizing its heritage value.

The archives reveal precise details of its reconstruction in the seventeenth century: a contract signed on 17 January 1639 between Jean de Tautal and the master carpenter Louys Deschambas for the cutting of trees and the construction of the structure, with a final payment made on 13 February 1641. These documents provide rare insights into the construction methods and local economy of the time.

Today, the castle of Chanterelle embodies both the medieval heritage and the transformations of the modern era in Haute-Auvergne. Its architecture, combining defensive and residential elements, illustrates the evolution of the needs of the regional elites between the 15th and 17th centuries, while remaining anchored in the historical landscape of the Cantal.

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