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Origin and history

The castle of Bellegarde-en-Forez, located in the plain of Forez, finds its origins in the Middle Ages as a stronghold of the Counts of Forez. Attested in 1173 in a treaty delimiting Lyonnais and Forez, it served as a strategic point near the eastern border of the county. In the 13th century, it became a key châtellenie to control the territory, with a captain-châtelain and a provost representing the Comtal authority. During the Hundred Years War, although the Forez was distant from the fighting, the castle underwent repairs in 1384 to remedy its degraded condition, probably caused by the looting of mercenaries.

In the 16th century, the castle passed into the hands of the Bron family after its purchase in 1521 by René de Rougemont, lord of the Liègue, who married Béatrix de Bron. This family, originally from Dauphiné, built the present Renaissance building in the second half of the 16th century, without replacing entirely the old medieval castle whose remains remain. The new castle incorporates typical elements of the late Renaissance: sill windows, antique door frames, and a monumental fireplace dated 1597, commissioned by Antoine de Bron. The Bron and Lichen weapons, now hammered, once adorned the gate of the court of honour.

The castle changed owners several times after the 16th century, notably in the 17th century with Claude-Charles de Bron, Baron of Riverie, whose matrimonial alliances strengthened ties with noble families of the Dauphiné. At the Revolution, the last seigneur, Jean-Marie Ranvier, was executed in 1794, and the coat of arms of the gate were probably destroyed at that time. In the 19th century, the family of Rivérieulx de Chambost partially altered the castle, before it passed in 1680 — then by inheritance — to the family of Sorbier de Pougnadoresse, the current owner. The monument, partially inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1987, preserves traces of its medieval and Renaissance past, such as the Baudin Gate, a vestige of the medieval enclosure.

The castle is part of a broader historical context, marked by the influence of the Counts of Forez and then the Dukes of Bourbon, before its definitive connection to the royal estate in 1532. Its architecture reflects the transitions between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, while its strategic role declines after the Revolution. Today, it reflects the evolution of local authorities and noble architecture in Forez, between defensive and residential heritage.

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