Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Oyez consists of two distinct parts: a feudal motte overlooking the village of Bellac (comune of Saint-Simon), vestige of an ancient castle controlling the Jordanne valley. This strategic site, attested as early as the 14th century, kept traces of two defensive enclosures. Nearby, a seigneurial mansion, formerly called La Salle d'Oyez, illustrates the architectural evolution of the place.

The current manor house, partially rebuilt in the middle of the 16th century by Guillaume Cambefort (advisor to the Presidual d'Aurillac), presents a body of rectangular houses flanked by a circular tower, an octagonal scald and a turret with cut strips. Its west façade, adorned with a 16th century door and carved decorations, bears witness to a rare refinement for the countryside of Haute-Auvergne. A common building was later added to the north.

The history of the castle is marked by several noble families. In the 15th century, the Oyez gave way to La Roque (like Antoine and Pierre, lords of Oyez in the 15th to 16th centuries), then to Cambefort after William's marriage to Marguerite de La Roque in 1543. In the 18th century, the estate passed to the Peytavi (a branch of which adopted the name of La Salle), before being passed on to the Delzangles, family having given a mayor to Saint-Simon.

Ranked a historic monument in 1972 for its facades and roofs, the castle is the subject of summer visits and artistic exhibitions. Its hybrid architecture — between medieval fortress and Renaissance residence — makes it a remarkable testimony to the seigneurial history of the Cantal.

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