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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Murol Castle is built on a basaltic promontory at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, overlooking the village of the same name in Auvergne. Its origins date back to the 11th century with a primitive wall and a Romanesque chapel, but it was in the 13th century that its current structure began to emerge. The hill would have been occupied as early as the Neolithic, with hypotheses of a Gallo-Roman presence, and lies at the intersection of three ancient ways linking Limagne, Le Mont-Dore and Clermont-Ferrand.

In the 14th century, Guillaume II de Murol undertook important works, including a funeral chapel and the strengthening of defences. The castle then passed into the hands of the Estaing family in 1455, after the marriage of Jeanne de Murol, last heiress, with Gaspard d'Estaing. These new owners transform the high court according to the Renaissance cannons, adding a palace and hanging gardens, although the works remain unfinished. An artillery piece bearing the name François d'Estaing was discovered there.

Saved by Richelieu thanks to the prestige of Estaing, however, the castle was abandoned and partially ruined before the French Revolution. It even served as a stone quarry in the 19th century. Ranked a historic monument in 1889, it was assigned to the department in 1880 and then to the commune of Murol in 1953. Today, it attracts more than 180,000 annual visitors and has served as the setting for the film Kaamelott: Premier Volet (2020).

The lords of Murol have succeeded each other since the Comptour d'Apchon, followed by the Chamba in the 13th century. The lineage of the Murols was extinguished in the 15th century with Jeanne, whose marriage with Gaspard d'Estaing marked the beginning of a new era for the castle. Domestic life in the 14th century brought together about twenty people, including the lord, his family and three men of arms for the garrison.

The site includes two chapels, including an 11th century Romanesque, as well as a polygonal enclosure with basaltic relief. The tower of Chautignat (11th century) houses vaulted rooms served by a staircase with screws. The kitchens and the bakery, equipped with imposing chimneys, bear witness to medieval daily life. The ruins inspired Guy de Maupassant in Humble drama (1883), describing their melancholy majesty.

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