Origin and history
The Château de Lalaubie, located in Saint-Simon in the Cantal, is an emblematic monument whose origins date back to at least the sixteenth century. The site, mentioned in 1310, was successively owned by influential families such as the Moysset, the Merle, and the Delolm. The current structure, mainly built between 1722 and 1732, incorporates older defensive elements, such as a staircase turret and a door in a braid, typical of the strong houses of the region. The castle was enlarged under the Regency, with the addition of a chapel in 1730, and renovated in the 19th century, notably by Gabriel de Lamargé, who created stables and a neo-renaissance dining room.
The Lalaubie estate, about 100 hectares, includes meadows, woods, and a buron on the Coyan plateau, dedicated to the breeding of cows of Salers for the production of Cantal cheese. By the 18th century, the farm was prosperous, producing cheese, butter and grains, as evidenced by Louis Delolm's book of reason (1668-1743). The castle, classified as a historical site in 1943 and listed as a Historical Monument in 1992, reflects the architectural and social evolution of the region, mixing medieval heritage, classical transformations and agricultural adaptations.
The family owners marked the history of the castle: the Delolm, notably Louis-Henri (1756-1829), doctor and mayor of Aurillac, or Henri (1818-1870), editor of the Dictionnaire statistique du Cantal, played a major political and cultural role. In the 20th century, Gabriel Salvage de Lamargé developed the breeding of race horses, even creating an existing horse price. Today, the castle, a private property, does not visit, but its architectural and agricultural heritage remains a living testimony of Cantalian history.
The castle's architecture combines a six-span housing body, flanked by a round tower with a spiral staircase and a defensive turret. The chapel, built in 1730, incorporates 18th-century woodwork reusing 17th-century elements. The gardens, set up around 1840-1850, include terraces, alleys and plane trees, while two Romanesque capitals, probably from the cloister of Saint-Sigismon church in Saint-Simon, adorn the entrance. These details illustrate the superimposition of periods and styles, characteristic of Cantalian castles.
Lalaubie Castle is also linked to local historical figures, such as Géraud d'Aurillac, whose possessions included the Jordanne Valley where the estate is located. The Delolm, anoblis in 1816, left a lasting mark, with members engaged in revolution, medicine, or politics. The estate, which is still active in livestock and wheat production, perpetuates a centuries-old agricultural tradition, while maintaining a protected architectural heritage.
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