Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Chappes, located in Ferrières-sur-Sichon in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is a typical example of a 15th century medieval castle. It illustrates the military architecture of the time, with its moat fed by a canal, its three-storey house and its round towers, two of which still remain today. The site, organised around a fortified courtyard, reflects the defensive organisation of the rural estates in Bourbon, with a housing body framed by outbuildings and a west facade with a staircase turret.

The castle was partially listed as a historical monument on June 9, 1992, thus protecting its most remarkable elements: the canal, the moat, the house body with its two remaining round towers, as well as interior decorations dated from the early eighteenth century. Among these sets are Louis XIV woodwork on the ground floor and 15th-century chimneys on the upper floors, including a stone fireplace with columnettes and a prominent coat. These elements attest to the architectural and stylistic evolutions of the castle over the centuries.

Originally, the castle was lined with four round towers, but the two western towers disappeared. The buildings, structured on three levels plus a peak, delimit a courtyard before the fortified ensemble. Another example of the architectural adaptations of the site is the west facade, with its semi-outstanding staircase turret. Chappes Castle is part of a network of Bourbon castles, such as those of Ferrières or Montgilbert, demonstrating the strategic importance of this region in the Middle Ages.

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