Initial construction XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Strong house with stair tower.
Fin XVIe siècle
Religious conflicts
Religious conflicts Fin XVIe siècle (≈ 1695)
Bag of the castle by the Leaguers.
1815
Change of ownership
Change of ownership 1815 (≈ 1815)
Pass to the Odde du Villard.
1825
Reconstruction of the stables
Reconstruction of the stables 1825 (≈ 1825)
Fire and work.
XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles
Expansions
Expansions XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles (≈ 1850)
Addition of an east wing, modern staircase.
13 janvier 2022
Heritage protection
Heritage protection 13 janvier 2022 (≈ 2022)
Registration for historical monuments.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Château de la Planche in its entirety with its pavilions, stable, park, water rooms, factory and fence walls, on plots No. 330, 338, 1063 to 1067, 1174, appearing in cadastre section B: inscription by order of 13 January 2022
Key figures
Jean de Fugy - Commander of the Leagues
Defended the castle at the end of the 16th century.
Marcel Odde du Villard - Judge and botanist
Created the landscape park in the 19th.
Origin and history
The Château de la Planche, located in Grazac (Haute-Loire), finds its origins in the 15th century as a small house with a staircase tower, owned by the Fugy family. At the end of the 16th century, Jean de Fugy, commander of the Leagues, set up a garrison there to defend the nearby castle-prieur. The site was then damaged by religious conflicts. This military role reflects local tensions between Catholics and Protestants during the Wars of Religion.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sires de Fugy, managers of the priory's goods, enlarged the house towards the east and modernized the openings. The medieval screw staircase is replaced by a stone wall staircase in the new wing. These changes illustrate the evolution of residential needs, from a fortress to a more comfortable home, typical of the provincial aristocracy of the Ancien Régime.
In 1815, the estate passed by alliance to the Odde du Villard family. Marcel Odde du Villard (1789–1860), a Puy judge and botanist, created a landscape park in front of the castle, incorporating rare species and a piece of water for his floral research. In the 19th century, two new buildings were added to the east, and the stable, destroyed by fire in 1825, was rebuilt. These amenities reflect a romantic craze for picturesque gardens and natural sciences.
Architecturally, the castle consists of a rectangular granite body, covered with tiles, with traces of abrased skewers at angles. Two low pavilions flank the east facade, while the commons, perpendicular, extend to the west. The park, structured by a cavalier alley, houses a hexagonal factory (library) and a circular basin near the southern regular garden. These are evidence of a desire to combine agricultural utility, landscape aesthetics and scientific curiosity.
The castle has been listed as historical monuments since 13 January 2022, recognizing its heritage value combining medieval history, classical transformations and botanical heritage. The protection includes the castle in its entirety, its pavilions, the stable, the park with its water parts, its factory and its fence walls, highlighting the unity of the estate throughout the centuries.
