Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Folgoux is an ancient fortified house built in the 14th century, attested from 1318 as seigneury dependent on the abbey of the Chaise-Dieu. The date of 1344, engraved on a wall, suggests its initial construction. This monument illustrates medieval defensive architecture, with a square tower with spiral staircase and a chapel in a round tower. Its rectangular plane results from the juxtaposition of two bodies of buildings, one of which represents the primitive dwelling.

The castle suffered major damage around 1590 during the Wars of Religion, where it was burned and looted. Only a few original elements remain, such as the kitchen fireplace or the old window. Reconstructed at the beginning of the 17th century, it then incorporates refined interior decorations (XVIIth–XVIIIth centuries), while its gardens, formerly French, complete the ensemble. The estate, organized around two inner courtyards and commons, reflects an architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1994, the castle of Folgoux protects its interior decorations (kitchen, living rooms, rooms), its commons, its gardens and its driveway. It also served as a filming venue in 1965–66 for Gaspard des montagnes, a series directed by Jean-Pierre Decourt. Its history is documented by local sources, such as the Historical Chronicles of Livradois-Forez (1995), highlighting its anchoring in the Auvergnat heritage.

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