Construction of the castle 1710 (≈ 1710)
Edited by Joaquim d'Estaing, Bishop of Saint-Flour.
1er juillet 1974
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1er juillet 1974 (≈ 1974)
Protection of facades, roofs and interior elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
facades and roofs; court of honor with its basin; balustrade bordering the moat, including its wrought iron grill; basin and fountain of Adam and Eve; fountain of the Devil; inside staircase with cage and wrought iron ramp; next rooms with their decoration: entrance hall, large and small living rooms and two bedrooms on the ground floor (cad. AC 331): inscription by order of 1 July 1974
Key figures
Joaquim d'Estaing - Bishop of Saint-Flour and sponsor
The castle was built in 1710.
Origin and history
The Château de Lavaure, located in Neschers, was built in the first quarter of the eighteenth century, more precisely in 1710, at the initiative of Joaquim d'Estaing, then bishop of Saint-Flour. The building consists of a main building body, structured around a ground floor, a noble floor and a Mansart attic, flanked by two wings of commons arranged in return for square. The court of honour, closed by dry moats bordered by a stone balustrade, opens with a wrought iron door decorated with volutes, reflecting the care given to aesthetics and baroque symmetry.
The castle park is home to two notable elements: the basin of Adam and Eve, of circular shape, where the draped characters are treated in a baroque style, surrounded by stylized plants, and the fountain of the Devil, a wall decorated with a palmette and canned pilasters, surmounted by a grimacing figure. These exterior developments, as well as the walled interiors and the ceiling stairwell decorated with an oval medallion surrounded by garlands, testify to a successful artistic and architectural research. Four atlantes seem to support the ceiling of the stairwell, adding to the monumentality of the ensemble.
The castle was partially classified as a Historical Monument by order of 1 July 1974. This decree protects the facades and roofs, the court of honour with its basin, the balustrade and its wrought iron gate, as well as several interior elements such as the vestibule, the living rooms and two bedrooms on the ground floor. These protections highlight the heritage value of the site, both for its architecture and for its interior and exterior decorations.
