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Origin and history

The château du Châtelard, 4 km northwest of Ebreuil in the Allier, is a 14th-century building that was thoroughly renovated in the 19th century. Built on probably older bases, it dominates an estate of 706 hectares, including 600 woodlands, crossed by the Cèpe River. The chapel, dated 1582, has a flat bedside and an apparent structure, backed by a round tower, vestige of the medieval defensive system. The south-east facade, entirely redone in the nineteenth century, contrasts with the north-west façade of the sixteenth century, where remains a medieval round road ending in a square tower.

The castle changed hands several times over the centuries. In the 14th century Auger du Châtelard was the lord, before the fief passed to the family of Veauce, then by marriage to Béraud II Dauphin, killed in Azincourt in 1415. His daughter Blanche brought Jean de Lespinasse in dowry in 1425. King Charles VII stayed there twice, in 1440 during Prague and in 1456, attracted by the proximity of his favorite, Arthuse de Lavieu. In the 16th century, Antoine de Montmorin paid tribute to the Duchess of Bourbon, before the seigneury passed to the Arnaud, then to the Pellissier de Féligonde family in 1761, still owner today.

During the Revolution, the castle was inspected in 1794 as part of the destruction of feudal signs, without undergoing major degradation. It was listed as a historical monument in 1982, and retains protected elements such as the facades and roofs of the round and square towers, the chapel, and the remains of the round road. The renovations of the 19th century, although transforming part of the building, preserved these traces of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, testifying to its architectural and historical evolution.

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