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Origin and history

The Château d'Olmet, located in Vic-sur-Cère in the Cantal, is a mansion built at the end of the 19th century in a classic style inspired by Louis XIII. It consists of a two-storey pavilion, a wing with a Mansard roof, and commons. The site dominates the valley of the Cère, offering a view of the Castle of Comblat, from which it covers some architectural volumes.

Originally, Olmet was a medieval manse mentioned in 1266 under the names fazenda of Olmeto and mansus of Vih da Olmet. It belonged to the family of La Garde, Coseigneurs de Vic, who paid tribute to the Viscount of Carlat in the 13th century. Several centuries later, the estate was acquired by Martin Auguste Benech, a Parisian dairy from Thiezac, and his wife Adèle Carbonnel, from Aveyron. In 1907, after the death of Martin Auguste, Adèle Carbonnel took over family affairs and maintained the estate.

Although often associated with Colonel François de La Rocque, founder of the Croix de Feu, the castle never belonged to him. His family, however, stayed there as a tenant in 1937 and 1938. After the Second World War, the estate was acquired by the Jean Mermoz Foundation (known as the Aerium of the Cross), dedicated to the reception of orphans of pilots of the Air Force, then of children with respiratory disorders. In the 1970s, the castle was transferred to Social Security to become a shelter for disabled workers, a function it still occupies.

In the vicinity of the castle is the Notre-Dame des Croix chapel, founded in memory of those who died in combat, as well as a museum dedicated to the Croix de Feu movement and the French Social Party (PSF). Inaugurated in 1964 thanks to the donations of former members, this museum housed flags, posters and souvenirs, before closing its doors for lack of visitors. Some of the archives were transferred to the National Archives in the 1980s.

Today, Olmet Castle houses an ESAT (Etablissement et Service d'Aide par le Travail) created in 2010, where activities such as carpentry, beekeeping and laundry are carried out. The estate remains a place marked by its social and memorial history, between architectural heritage and charitable vocation.

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