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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of the Dukes of Bourbon in Montluçon is a medieval building built from 1070 by Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon, on the site of a Gallic oppidum. He was occupied by the English between 1171 and 1188 and was returned to the Bourbons by Philippe Auguste. The present structure, erected from 1370 under Louis II of Bourbon, became a stronghold during the Hundred Years' War, surrounded by double ramparts and 41 towers. The castle, never taken by the English, was embellished in the 15th century to become a residence of pleasure, before being abandoned in 1527 after the attachment of Bourbonnais to the crown of France.

Louis II de Bourbon, the principal builder, died there in 1410 in a vaulted room with remarkable decorations. The castle underwent successive architectural changes, such as the clock tower (15th century) and an Italian wooded gallery, destroyed and rebuilt in the 20th century. After three centuries of abandonment, it underwent massive demolitions in the 19th century to be transformed into barracks, courts and town hall, profoundly altering its authenticity.

In 1926, the castle was listed as a historical monument, then restored in 1935, although some interventions (cement on stones, vaults) distorted original elements. Since 1959, it has housed a museum of popular music, before becoming a reserve for the MuPop in 2013. After 20 years of closure, it will reopen to the public in November 2025, marking a new stage in its preservation.

The site preserves military remains, such as the square dungeon with thick walls and crenellated parapet, as well as civilian elements, such as the large rectangular house and the clock tower, symbol of its evolution towards a seigneurial home. The stolen passages used by Louis XI in 1465 bear witness to his strategic role. The legendary "subterraneans" are in reality only vaulted cellars under the city, without any proven connection to the castle.

The protection of the castle in 1926 saved part of its heritage, despite the damage suffered. The restorations of the 1930s, although critical (use of cement, modifications of the panels), preserved structures such as the wooden gallery. Today, the castle embodies both a medieval heritage and the challenges of conservation, between historical memory and modern adaptations.

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