Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Chazeron finds its roots in a Gallic oppidum of the fourth century BC, linked to a sacred cult around the springs and bears, divine symbols for Celtic peoples like the Arvernes. The hill, already fortified, resisted a three-month siege before joining Rome in 53 B.C., obtaining land as a reward. The historical traces efface until 329, where the Chronicles of Lord Cel mention a unsuccessful siege by Gaelic mercenaries, the Tarasks.

In the 11th century, the castle reached its peak with the construction of a dungeon and 17 towers, extending its seigneury from Châtel-Guyon to the Etramaille. Its geostrategic role, similar to that of the castle of Usson (now extinct), makes it a major strong place in the county. Little modified until the 17th century, it was then transformed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart for the Marquis François de Monestay, to welcome Louis XIV. LeNôtre redesigned the gardens, but the Royal Pavilion project failed, due to lack of effective water management.

In the 20th century, the castle became a state prison under Vichy in 1940, welcoming political figures such as Édouard Daladier, Georges Mandel or Léon Blum, before their transfer to other places. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1944, it then houses a College of Youth Buildings. Its architecture today combines a medieval dungeon, a classical court of honour and 18th century commons, witnesses to its metamorphoses.

Future

Chazeron Castle is open to visitors.

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