Turlande Castle dans le Cantal

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Key figures

Origin and history

Turlande Castle, located in Paulhenc in the Cantal, was the seat of a châtellenia dependent on the family of Saint Robert, founder of the Casadean Order. Built on a rocky spur overlooking the Truyère, it was surrounded by a double enclosure and controlled a strategic passage. A chapel dedicated to the Trinity and the Blessed Virgin, dating from the 13th century, was attached to it. The site, probably occupied as early as the Gaulish era as an oppidum, was transformed into a stone fortress in the 12th century, with drawbridge, stables and houses.

During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was taken by the English in 1363 after the fall of Brioude. They occupied and looted the area until 1387, when the states of Auvergne bought their departure for 50,000 pounds. Bernard VII of Armagnac, Viscount of Rodez, supervised this transaction and the return of the premises. The castle, several times ruined and rebuilt, was finally dismantled after the wars of religion.

In 1444, Turlande was sold with other seigneuries to Bernard VIII of Armagnac, Viscount of Carlat, before being handed over to the family of Rochedragon. In the 17th century, Prince Honoré II of Monaco, Count of Carladès, became its owner through Pol Loudes, but the fortress, already in ruins, gradually disappeared. Today, only the chapel remains, and the site, accessible for free, offers a remarkable view of the surroundings.

The castle illustrates the turbulent history of medieval conflicts in Auvergne, between English occupations, seigneurial rivalries and progressive decline after the wars of religion. Its strategic location, between Carladès and the upper Truyère valley, made it a military and political issue for centuries.

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