Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Mauzun Castle is an ancient medieval fortress built in the 13th century on an extinct volcano, whose black stones were used for its construction. Dominating the village of Mauzun in Puy-de-Dôme, it was initially a Gallo-Roman site before becoming, between the 9th and 12th centuries, a stronghold of the Counts of Auvergne. Its impressive architecture, with three enclosures and twenty towers, reflects its key role in regional conflicts, especially between the Comtal, Episcopal and Royal powers.

In 1207 Count Guy II gave the castle to the bishop of Clermont to avoid confiscation by the King of France, then in conflict with the Allied Counts of England. Between 1230 and 1240 Bishop Hugues de la Tour rebuilt it according to the Philippian model, strengthening its defences. The site became a major issue: taken by English roadmen in 1369, liberated in 1385, then fought during the religious wars. In 1589, it housed the headquarters of the League in Auvergne before submitting to the king in 1590.

The castle had a last siege in 1632 when Gaston d'Orléans revolted against Richelieu, but resisted. Partially dismantled in 1633 by royal ordinance, it fell into ruins in 1650. In 1792, confiscated and sold, it was stripped of its materials. In the 19th century, the Saunier family then Chalus became its owner; Maurice Chalus restored a tower in 1913. After decades of abandonment, youth projects in the 1990s and its acquisition in 2001 by the Charrier family allowed major restorations, interrupted by the Covid crisis in 2019.

The fortress is organized around three enclosures spread over five hectares: an outside wall of 900 m with ditch, a triangular high castle flanked by sixteen hemicylindrical towers, and a square dungeon of 50 m side on top. Its ruins, classified as a historical monument in 1970, illustrate medieval military architecture and power struggles in Auvergne.

Today, although closed to the public since 2019, Mauzun Castle remains a symbol of the Auvergnat defensive heritage, marked by centuries of conflicts, alliances and architectural transformations. His recent rescue demonstrates a continuing commitment to preserve this witness from regional history.

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