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Origin and history

The castle of Ligones, located in Lezoux in Puy-de-Dôme, was built during the reign of Louis XIV, probably between the end of the seventeenth and the first third of the eighteenth century. Inspired by Marly Castle, it was distinguished by its square plan centered on a circular salon with a dome, surrounded by a 115-hectare park with basins, alleys and a cave adorned with amethysts. The building, symbol of the power of the Chazerat family, was completely destroyed in 1794 by revolutionary order, its materials sold to finance public projects.

The land of Ligones, originally owned by Marguerite de Valois, was ceded in 1606 to the dolphin Louis XIII, then exchanged in 1661 by Louis XIV to Jean Ribeyre. In 1683 he sold it to Claude de Chazerat, a military engineer whose family retained the estate until the Revolution. The castle, designed by architect Antoine Matthieu Le Carpentier, combined classical elements (ionic columns, balustrades) and innovations like a hidden flat roof. The communes and park, completed in 1785, reflected a taste for English gardens and sumptuous scenery, such as the glittering cave of the Island.

The castle housed a central living room decorated with stuccos representing the four seasons, surrounded by apartments for up to 24 people. The materials, especially Volvic lava, were transported to the site after extensive earthworks. The court of honour, framed by mansardous communes, led to a terrace and a porch of seven steps. Despite its destruction, part of the park, including the Island and its water room, remains today as municipal property.

The end of the castle of Ligones was sealed by the Revolution: seized as national property after the emigration of Charles-Antoine-Claude de Chazerat, it was demolished in 1794. The materials were sold to build a building for the local popular society. Today, only archival documents (plans, descriptions, records) and the 20 hectares of the island, acquired by the city of Lezoux, testify to this " Versailles auvergnat", disappeared after only a century of existence.

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