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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Max Castle, located 2.5 km southwest of the village of Theil (Allier), is an emblematic monument of the 15th and 19th centuries. Surrounded by moat and accessible by a dormant bridge replacing an old drawbridge, it consists of an entrance chestnut, a 15th century round tower, and adjacent house bodies. Its architecture combines defensive elements (archères, schauguettes) with residential spaces, with an intact medieval structure and a chapel built in memory of Jacques de Gouzolles, mysteriously disappeared lord.

Founded in the 13th century by Jean and Nicolas du Max, the castle passes into the hands of influential families, such as the Rollands (anoblished under Louis XII), then Jacques de Gouzolles, squire of François I and viceroy of Scotland. In 1663 it was acquired by Gilbert Gaulmyn de Montgeorges, a scholar and close to Mazarin, whose family marked the history of the place. His grandson, Gilbert, an officer under Louis XIV, led a tumultuous life there linked to the case of Angélique Tiquet, condemned for an alleged attack on her husband.

In the 18th century, the castle belonged to the lords of Montgeorges, before undergoing revolutionary upheavals. In the 19th century, he was occupied by a German officer during the Second World War, then suspected of sheltering weapons for the Cagoule in 1937. Ranked a historic monument in 2021, it now houses cultural activities. A local legend evokes a treasure hidden beneath its walls, linked to the disappearance of Jacques de Gouzolles and to ghostly apparitions.

The building preserves remarkable elements: a spiral staircase, a room with monumental fireplace, and a vaulted kitchen. Its enclosure, moat, and commons are protected, as is its access driveway and pigeon house. An 18th century fire atlas, describing the seigneury, was preserved. Since 1989, the current owners have animated the site, perpetuating its historic and legendary heritage.

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