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Château de Fourchaud à Besson dans l'Allier

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château Médiéval et Renaissance
Allier

Château de Fourchaud

    9999 Chemin des Pierroux
    03210 Besson
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Château de Fourchaud
Crédit photo : jean-louis Zimmermann - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1351
First mention of the castle
1470
Property of Peronnelle de Cieux
1560
Castle owned by Claude Mareschal
1625
Switch to Hugon
1775
Acquisition by the Marquis de Tilly
1932
Historical monument classification
2011
Fall of the three-centennial chestnut tree
2023
Selection at the Heritage Lotto
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

West court and round tower of the southwest corner: inscription by order of 30 May 1928; Castle and round tower adjoining it: by order of 30 May 1932

Key figures

Jean Mareschal - First Lord attested Made the castle in 1351.
Péronnelle de Cieux - Widow of Jean Mareschal Owner in 1470 according to an act.
Claude Mareschal - Last heir Mareschal Owner in 1560, wife of a knight.
Pierre Hugon - New Lord in the 17th Century Ecuyer, Sieur de Fourchaud in 1625.
Marquis de Tilly - Lord of Fourchaud in 1775 Acquire domain and title.
Anne de France - Local historical figure Future dedication of a planned museum.

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