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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The château de la Grillière, located in Monétay-sur-Allier in the department of the Allier, was erected in the late 19th century, between 1895 and 1899. It replaces an old master house, demolished to give way to this ambitious project. The building, of asymmetrical design and red brick, is inspired by the English architectural style, reflecting the tastes of the sponsor, Stephen Durieu de Lacarelle, who returned from a trip to Scotland. Architects Jean Moreau and his son René led the work, marking a transition between two generations of designers.

The castle illustrates the architectural eclecticism of the 1900s, mixing Renaissance, 18th century influences and French monarchical styles. The large staircase in pink marble, dated 1895, the lounges adorned with stucco and woodwork, as well as the smoker-library at the woodwork recovered from the Château de Logères, testify to this diversity. The interior decorations, made by sculptor Thiébaud and painter Detanger, complete this ensemble, while the park was redesigned in the same anglicizing spirit.

Ranked and listed as historical monuments between 1988 and 1990, the Château de la Grilllière protects remarkable elements such as the monumental staircase, living rooms, library and dining room. These rooms, with their preserved decorations, offer an overview of the bourgeois art of living of the late nineteenth century, combining modern comfort and historical references. The building remains a notable example of eclectic architecture in Bourbonnais, reflecting the European influences of its time.

The rooms on the first floor, each decorated in a different style (Louis XIII to Empire), underline the will of eclecticism pushed to the extreme. This stylistic choice, combined with the use of noble materials and elements recovered from other castles (such as Montriboux), makes the château de la Grillière a unique testimony of the artistic and social trends of the late nineteenth century in France.

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