Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Chazeron finds its origins in a Gallic oppidum of the fourth century BC, linked to a cult around deities like Grannos and Sirona, associated with the presence of a sacred source and symbolic bears. The Arvernes, a local Celtic people, established a tactical stronghold there, taken only once after a three-month siege. Upon the arrival of the Romans in 53 B.C., the inhabitants joined Julius Caesar, who offered them the surrounding land as a reward. The historical traces then disappeared until 329, where the castle reappeared in the Chronicles of Lord Cel, evoking a siege repelled by the Tarask mercenaries.

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 L'Etramaille. The work lasted 68 years, and its architecture had similarities with the Castle of Usson, suggesting a major geostrategic role. Little modified until the 17th century, it was then transformed by the Marquis François de Monestay to welcome Louis XIV. Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Le Nôtre added classical wings and gardens, but the king finally gave up, preferring Versailles.

During the Second World War, Vichy's regime set up a state prison for political figures such as Édouard Daladier, Léon Blum and Georges Mandel, before converting him to the College of Youth Buildings in 1942. Ranked a historic monument in 1944, the castle preserves an 11th century dungeon, a 17th century court of honour and the remains of the 18th century, surrounded by a park designed by Le Nôtre and inscribed with remarkable gardens.

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