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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Grillière, located in Monétay-sur-Allier in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), was built at the end of the 19th century on the site of an old mansion. The original project was designed by architect Jean Moreau, and taken over in 1899 by his son René Moreau, in collaboration with the sponsor Stephen Durieu de Lacarelle, inspired by a trip to Scotland. This castle reflects the anglicizing style of the 1900s, both in its architecture and in the redefinition of its park, realized in the same eclectic spirit.

The interiors of the castle are marked by a great stylistic diversity. The large staircase in pink marble, Renaissance style (1895), is next to living rooms decorated with stucco, woodwork and Corinthian columns evoking the eighteenth century. The smoke library, work room and dining room incorporate recovered elements from the châteaux of Logères and Montriboux, such as woodwork and mythological paintings. The decorations were executed by the sculptor Thiébaud (1895-1898) and the painter decorator Detanger.

The château de la Grillière was listed as a historical monument by order of 21 March 1988 and was classified on 8 February 1990. The protection covers the entire building, as well as emblematic rooms with their decor: the library and its painted ceiling, the dining room, the living rooms, and the monumental staircase with its vestibule. These measures underline the heritage value of this architectural testimony of late-century eclecticism.

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