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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Aulteribe, located in Sermentizon in the Puy-de-Dôme, is mentioned for the first time in the 13th century. In 1400 Pierre Cholet obtained the title of Seigneur d'Aulteribe, and his daughter Catherine married Charles Motier de La Fayette, who fortified the castle in 1467 with archères and canonières. The estate remained in the family of La Fayette and then Beaufort-Montboissier until 1662, during which time work was carried out on the eastern façade.

In 1775, Jacques de Pierre, Marquis, acquired the castle then in ruins. His grandson, Joseph de Pierre, married Marie Pauline Henriette Onslow and restored the castle in the 19th century in a romantic style, while modernizing the agricultural estate according to physiocratic principles. Pierre's family, passionate about art, enriched the castle with collections of furniture and objects, left in 1954 at the Caisse nationale des monuments historiques.

Ranked a historic monument in 1949, the castle is now managed by the National Monuments Centre. It has been home to a school for the restoration of furniture since 1999, in connection with the Institut de Formation Professionnelle de Haute-Loire. Its architecture combines medieval elements (tours, mâchicoulis) and neo-Renaissance additions, while its interiors exhibit works of art and furniture from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

The neo-Roman chapel, inspired by the auvergnat Romanesque art, and the facades adorned with sling windows illustrate the romantic taste of Peter's family. The collections, including portraits of Richelieu or George Onslow, reflect the spirit of an early 20th century aristocratic home. The castle has been open to the public since 1965, highlighting its movable and architectural heritage.

The 1954 legacy stipulated that collections were to be used for artistic education, leading to the creation of a Technical Patent for Higher Trades (BTMS) in the restoration of furniture. This program trains students in alternation, studying directly the rooms of the castle and the restoration techniques, in partnership with the site of Bains en Haute-Loire.

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