Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Château du Cheylon is a medieval building located 3.5 km southwest of Polignac, in the Haute-Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It stands on a rocky piton overlooking the Borne River, offering a strategic position. Today, there remains mainly a tower of about ten meters, partially masked by vegetation, whose access was once through a door located on the first floor.

Originally, the castle belonged to the lords of Ceyssac. Towards the end of the 14th century, he passed into the hands of Jeanne de La Gorce, descendant of this family, through his marriage to Perceval Raybe, Lord of Saint-Marcel-d-Urfé. The latter was certified as Lord of Cheylon in 1426. Later, in 1609, Claude Raybe ceded the seigneury to Hugues de Fillère, seigneur of Bornette, thus marking a change of ownership.

The site is accessible via the chemin de la Bornette, on the road between Le Puy-en-Velay and Loudes. The visit is free, and the current remains, though partial, bear witness to its historic importance. The castle illustrates the medieval defensive architecture typical of the region, with a height settlement and still visible fortified elements.

The historical sources mention in particular the works of Gaston de Jourda de Vaux (1911) and Jean Arsac (1993), who documented the castles of Haute-Loire, offering an insight into the history and evolution of this type of monuments in the region. These works highlight the role of local lords in managing and transmitting these assets over the centuries.

External links