Initial construction début XVe siècle (≈ 1504)
Built fort house, base of the current castle.
1632
Exil de Mathieu de Morgues
Exil de Mathieu de Morgues 1632 (≈ 1632)
Departure to the Spanish Netherlands after conflicts.
fin XVIe siècle
Property of Morgues
Property of Morgues fin XVIe siècle (≈ 1695)
Local noble family in possession of the castle.
XVIIe et XIXe siècles
Major renovations
Major renovations XVIIe et XIXe siècles (≈ 1865)
Addition of a wing and interior decorations.
22 mars 1983
Partial classification
Partial classification 22 mars 1983 (≈ 1983)
Registration to historical monuments for several elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Gateway; facades and roofs; kitchen with fireplace in the basement; large living room with its decor and dining room with its decor of painted canvases on the first floor (cad. AO 151, 152): entry by order of 22 March 1983
Key figures
Claude de Morgues - Lord and Consul of Puy
Owner of the castle at the end of the sixteenth century.
Mathieu de Morgues - Priest and Pamphletary
Born at the castle, opposing Richelieu under Marie de Medici.
Origin and history
The château de Saint-Germain-Laprade is a former strong house, most of which dates back to the early 15th century. The building, of classic style, was redesigned in the 17th and 19th centuries, including the addition of a wing and the renovation of interior decorations. It illustrates the architecture of the small rural seigneuries of the Vellav country, with elements such as doors, fireplaces and ceilings of the 16th-17th centuries, as well as decorations of the Restoration, including a wallpaper of the time of Charles X.
At the end of the 16th century, the castle belonged to the family of Morgues. Claude de Morgues, Consul of Puy, lives there with his son, Mathieu de Morgues (1582–70), born in the building. The latter, priest and former Jesuit, became chaplain to Queen Marie de Medici before exiled to the Spanish Netherlands in 1632, where he conducted a pamphletary activity against Richelieu. The castle thus reflects local history and the political tensions of the time.
Partially classified as historical monuments since 22 March 1983, the castle protects remarkable elements: the entrance gate, the facades and roofs, the kitchen with its medieval fireplace, as well as the large living and dining room, decorated with painted canvases and 19th century decors. These protections highlight its heritage value as a witness to the architectural and social evolutions of the Velay.
