Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Fourchaud Castle, located in the municipality of Besson (Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is an emblematic example of bourbonese defensive architecture from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Built in the middle of a hollow bordering the Fourchaud Creek, it was initially surrounded by dry moat and water, probably filled in the 18th century. Its most notable features include a massive dungeon, a lower courtyard, a west court with a primitive door protected by a drawbridge, and a two-storey house overlooking vaulted cellars. Less than 100 meters east, the Petit Fourchaud, a dungeon with characteristic loggias, would have served as a watchtower in communication with other local sites such as the convent of Besson (now extinct) and the castle of Rochefort.

The name Fourchaud would come from the Gallo-Roman fork connecting Bourges to Lyon or Clermont-Ferrand, a strategic crossroads. The first mentions of the castle date back to 1351, when Jean Mareschal actually took it. The seigneury then passed into the hands of his widow, Peronnelle de Cieux (1470), then of their descendant Claude Mareschal, wife of Antoine Pungsat, knight of the king (1560). In the 17th century, the Hugon family became the owner, before the Marquis of Tilly's inheritance in 1775. Today, the site belongs to the descendants of the house of Bourbon-Parme, heirs of the Roussel of Tilly. After a period of abandonment, a restoration campaign is under way, led by volunteers and the association Presence Bourbon, which plans to set up a museum dedicated to Anne de France, Duchess of Bourbon and regent of the kingdom.

The western courtine and round tower were classified as Historic Monuments in 1932, while the garden is listed in the additional inventory for its potential label Remarkable Garden. In 2023, the Petit Fourchaud was selected for the Lotto du Patrimoine (Ms. Stéphane Bern), with works planned for its medieval structure between March and June 2004. A tricentennial chestnut tree, symbol of the estate, was shot down by storm Joachim in 2011. The castle thus illustrates the evolution of feudal fortresses in seigneurial residence, while preserving tangible traces of its military and family history.

External links