Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Panessière, located in Gennetines in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is an 18th century residence representative of the civil architecture of Bourbonnais. Its central building body, framed by two low wings, is accompanied by transformed commons, including a sheepfold of wood, a remarkable architectural element. A stone engraved on the west façade commemorates its sponsor, Jean-Baptiste Salle, squire and secretary of the King, executed during the Revolution.

The building has been partially listed as historical monuments since 1979 (facades, roofs and sheepfold). A French-style park project, mentioned on a 1770 plan, seems never to have been realized. The sources underline its typical character of the bourbon buildings of the time, combining residential and agricultural functions.

The archives also refer to its role in the local landscape, where the castles of this period often served as administrative or agricultural centres for the surrounding lands. The sheepfold, preserved despite the changes, bears witness to this duality between architectural prestige and practical utility, common in the rural areas of the eighteenth century.

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