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Origin and history

The Château de Varillettes, also known as Château de Vareilhettes, is a building located in the commune of Saint-Georges, in the department of Cantal, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its construction spans between the 15th and 16th centuries, combining defensive elements such as scauguette turrets and a round tower with a staircase, typical of Renaissance castral architecture. The main body, on three floors, reflects an evolution towards residential comfort while preserving remains of its initial military role, such as the mâchicoulis above the main entrance.

The castle is inseparable from the Polier family, including Herailh de Polier, the king's seal keeper, who ordered its construction to be visible today. In the 16th century, he went through an alliance with the family of Murat de Rochemore: Catherine de Polhier, a unique heiress, brought in dowry to her husband François de Murat in 1593. Their descendant, Claude de Murat (1599–?), Marshal of the king's camps, perpetuates the lineage before the estate was sold to the Lastic-Sieujac in the 18th century. Later, in the 19th century, the castle became the summer residence of the bishops of Saint-Flour.

The site is also distinguished by its medieval garden, organized in six squares of boxwood housing medicinal and aromatic plants (sauge, rosemary, absinthe...), reconstructing a garden of simple typical of the Middle Ages. This particularity, combined with its architecture, earned it an inscription at the Historic Monuments in 1982, highlighting its heritage value. The adjoining buildings, such as the chapel (1843) and stables, testify to subsequent adaptations to agricultural and religious uses.

Historical sources mention a first reference to the fief in 1484, suggesting an ancient seigneurial occupation. However, major transformations took place in the 16th and 17th centuries, under the impetus of the local noble families. Today, the castle combines defensive heritage, aristocratic residence and place of worship, illustrating the social and architectural changes of the Haute-Auvergne throughout the centuries.

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