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Origin and history

The castle of Arginy found its origins in the middle of the 14th century, when William of the Vernet (or Verneys), a bourgeois of Montbrison, acquired the site of an ancient Roman oppidum built by Arginus, lieutenant of Julius Caesar. This first brick building, built on the ruins of a Gallic salt mining centre, served as the basis for the medieval castle. In 1374, Guichard de Verneys paid tribute to him, marking the family's anchor until 1455, the date of his transmission to other lines.

The architecture of the castle reflects its successive construction phases. The 15th century saw its reconstruction, while the beginning of the 16th century brought changes. The site consists of two concentric enclosures: a quadrangular exterior flanked by turrets adapted to firearms, and an interior with house and an octagonal master tower called the Eight Beatitudes, built in 13th century bricks. The lower courtyard, accessible by a door tower and a drawbridge, retains two round towers.

A legend links the castle to the treasure of the Templars: Jacques de Molay, last grandmaster of the order, would have asked his nephew Guichard de Beaujeu to hide it from Argony. Although unverified, this story illustrates the mystery surrounding the site. Partially listed as historical monuments in 1974 (façades, roofs, moats), the castle bears witness to military techniques in the north of Lyonnais and the Dombes, between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Prior to its transformation into a castle, the site was a Roman oppidum founded after the Gaulian conquest, then a logging and saliferous centre in the Gaulish era. The remains of this period, including the brick tower, highlight the historical stratification of the site, where ancient, medieval and modern heritages are mixed.

After 1455, the castle changed hands several times among second-class families, gradually losing its defensive role to a residential function. The commons and moats, still visible, recall its original organization, while the protected facades and roofs offer an overview of its architectural evolution over three centuries.

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