Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Bellenaves Castle dans l'Allier

Allier

Bellenaves Castle

    4 Rue des Écoles
    03330 Bellenaves
Château de Bellenaves
Château de Bellenaves
Crédit photo : Magdalenadanjou - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1800
1900
2000
XIe siècle
Origins of the first castle
1248
Seventh Crusade
1496
Royal Marriage
XVIIIe siècle
Traditional transformation
1939–1945
Second World War
1979
Restoration
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The castle in its entirety, including its enclosure, its park with its fence wall, its gate, its guard pavilions, its communes with its carved elements (dog, coat of arms) , its canal and all the interior rooms with their decors (woodhouses, stuccos, fireplaces, paintings) including the large staircase with its wrought iron ramp, the kitchen, the large room of the dungeon, the library, the archive room with its armored door, the dining room, the large living room, the seasonal living room, the medieval room, the bedroom of the tower, the central gallery, the troubadour room with alcove, the bedroom of the girls (cad. AV 7, 12 to 14, 18, 190): inscription by order of 12 February 2002

Key figures

Roger III Jehan - Lord and cross Participates in the seventh crusade (1248).
Louis Ier Jehan - Chambellan of Charles VIII Wife Madeleine d'Anjou in 1496.
Étienne-François Dutour de Salvert - Owner in 1771 Buy the castle before the Revolution.
Philippe Alfonsi - Restaurant restaurant (1979) Save the castle with Xenia Schirinsky-Schikhmatoff.
Charlotte de Bellenave - Last heir Jehan Transfer the seigneury by marriage (XVIe).

Origin and history

The castle of Bellenaves, located at the northern end of the village opposite the church of St Martin, finds its origins in the last quarter of the 14th century, on the bases of a Gallo-Roman villa and a first 11th century castle. Built by the Lords Jehan de Bellenave, vassals of the Bourbons, it served as a medieval stronghold before being redesigned in the 15th and 18th centuries. The square dungeon (XIVth–XVth) and defensive elements such as the ramparts remain, while classical transformations in the 18th century added a long building, enlarged openings and refined interior decorations. An English park, with pieces of water and ironwork, partially replaced the medieval enclosure.

The Jehan family of Bellenave, owner since the 13th century, marked the history of the place. Roger III Jehan took part in the seventh crusade (1248) alongside Louis IX, while Louis I Jehan, chamberlain of Charles VIII, married Madeleine d'Anjou in 1496, the natural daughter of King René. The seigneury then passed by successive alliances to the Rochechouart-Chandeniers (XVIIe), to the Gillier de Clérambault, and then to the Pardaillans (ducs of Antin) in the 18th. During the Revolution, a tower was set on fire, and in the 20th century the castle will house the stained glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris and Sainte-Chapelle during the Second World War.

Acquired in 1771 by Étienne-François Dutour de Salvert, the castle experienced a decline in the 20th century: transformed into a grain silo in 1956, it lost some of its decorations, saved in extremis by the owner's wife. Rached in 1979 by journalist Philippe Alfonsi and Princess Xenia Schirinsky-Schikhmatoff, he was restored and inscribed in historical monuments in 2002. Today, his visit reveals a unique mix of medieval and classical architecture, with dungeon, archives room, library, and a park with centuries-old trees.

External links