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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château de la Bâtisse, located in Chanonat in Puy-de-Dôme, finds its origins in the 12th century with a first mention of the fief. A defence tower was built in the 13th century to strengthen the southern defensive belt of Clermont-Ferrand, in conjunction with other local fortifications such as the Crest castle. In the 14th century, three additional towers were added and connected by buildings, forming a real castle. His position in the Auzon valley allowed him to prevent attacks.

In 1308, the estate belonged to the shield Gérard d'Aultier, before moving to the family of La Volpilhière until 1569. After the last heir's suicide, the castle remained abandoned for 60 years. In 1622 Claude Roussel became the owner and undertook major modifications: the walls of the enclosure and a tower were razed by order of Cardinal de Richelieu, who dismantled the strongholds of Auvergne. Roussel covered the remaining lantern cap towers around 1633, and the castle was restored to a marina at the end of the seventeenth century, with a French garden on terraces.

The gardens, covering 9 hectares, were designed by André Le Nôtre's school and are today the largest French-style gardens in Puy-de-Dôme. Classified as a remarkable garden, they integrate a complex hydraulic system using the waters of the Auzon, with a dam and a channel feeding basins by gravity. This system makes the Building the only real water garden in the Central Massif. The castle and its outbuildings, including a 16th century dovecoier-poche decorated with graffiti, were classified as historical monuments in 1970, 1997, and in total in 2022.

The estate changed hands several times: acquired in 1693 by Jean Girard, Secretary of the Roy, who took the name of Girard de Chasteauneuf, he then passed to the Arnoux family of Maison Rouge. In 2021, it was sold to Jean-Yves Berthon and Vincent Salesse. The buildings, made of granite and cut stone, reflect construction campaigns from the 16th to the 19th century, with additions like a southwest wing built between 1794 and 1835. The outbuildings, partially rebuilt in the 20th century, complete this historical complex.

Architecturally, the castle presents a plan in L with an interior courtyard and a gallery on floor added in the 17th or 18th century. Three round towers flank the east and south facades, while the pigeon-house, typical of the Limagne, rests on four wooden poles with slices garnished with crosses of Saint-André. The dovecote's lower room preserves drawings from the 16th century. Despite the transformations, the site retains traces of its initial defensive role, while illustrating the evolution of aristocratic residences in Auvergne.

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