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Origin and history

Château Saint-Étienne, perched at 685 meters above sea level, is a medieval vestige overlooking Aurillac. Its square tower, built between the 9th and 14th centuries, is the last witness of the original castrum of Géraud, the father of St.Géraud of Aurillac. The base of the tower dates from the 9th century, while the upper parts were added in the 12th and 14th centuries. The current roof, a terrace, replaces that of the eighteenth century, and the upper Arase dates from the nineteenth. Originally, the tower peaked more than 30 metres before being reduced in 1747.

Founded as a comtal castle, it became the property of the abbey of Aurillac until the French Revolution, when it was sold as a national good. In the 19th century, the city of Aurillac, led by Mayor Louis-Furcy Grognier, bought it back to install a normal school of teachers, entrusted to the Brothers of the Christian Schools. A fire in 1868 destroyed the house body, replaced by a building inspired by the Papal Palace of Avignon, in homage to Gerbert d'Aurillac (future Pope Sylvestre II), born in the region.

The castle was also the seat of conflicts between the abbey and the inhabitants of Aurillac, notably in 1233, 1330 and 1469-1471, where the consuls opposed the abbey authority. Partially destroyed by the Huguenots in 1569, it was restored before being reduced in 1747. Under the Empire, it served as a prefectural residence, and then housed an apprenticeship centre in the 1950s.

Since 1970, the castle has been home to the Musée des Volcans, France's third Permanent Centre for Environment Initiatives (CPIE). Created by Dr Mézard, mayor of Aurillac, it was inaugurated in 1972 by Georges Pompidou, whose father studied there. The museum, temporarily closed in 2023 for assembly with the Museum of Art and Archaeology, offers exhibitions on Cantalian volcanoism, ecology and regional geological history.

The tower, symbol of abbatial power, was accessible by a 7-metre raised door, connected to the ground floor by a ladder. A network of similar towers (Saint-Simon, Naucelles, Faliès) protected the abbey's territory. The castle is also linked to Géraud d'Aurillac (856-909), founder of the abbey, born in its walls according to tradition.

Today, the site combines historical and scientific heritage, with mineralogic collections from the Rames Museum (1895) and university laboratories. Its interactive rooms explore geology, local fauna and human impact on Auvergne volcanoes, while welcoming school audiences and researchers.

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