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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Riau, located in Villeneuve-sur-Allier in the department of the Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), has its origins in the 15th century. It was built by Charles Popillon, an officer of the Dukes of Bourbon, on the site of an old castle belonging to Anne de France. This first building, in medieval style, includes a dungeon in red and black bricks as well as a porch of entry into the courtyard, both covered with slates today. The commons, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and the dovecote in polychrome bricks complete this set girdled with moats, organized in quadrilateral around a large courtyard.

In the 17th century, the castle changed hands: it was acquired in 1689 by the Count des Gouttes, and then, at the Revolution, to Jean-Antoine de Charry des Gouttes, naval officer. In 1826, Pierre Le Roy de Chavigny, prefect of the Allier under the Restoration, became its owner. The castle then passed on by inheritance to the Durye family, notably via Mathilde, daughter of Le Roy de Chavigny, and remained in this line until the 20th century. Pierre Durye (1920-1996), curator at the National Archives, was one of the last notable owners.

The architecture of the castle evolved over the centuries: around 1750, the main house was framed by two additional wings, modernizing its appearance. Inside, a collection of paintings by Emmanuel de La Villeon (1858-1944), impressionist painter and maternal grandfather of Madeleine Collard (wife of Pierre Durye), adds an artistic dimension to the place. Outside the moat, the tithe barn, dated 1584, is distinguished by its half-timbered facades and polychrome bricks, signed by the carpenter Nicolas Roger.

The castle of the Riau enjoys several protections as historical monuments. Land was registered as early as 1946, while facades, roofs, moats, grids, and barns were classified or registered between 1977 and 1991. These measures preserve a remarkable architectural ensemble, witness to the social and artistic transformations of Bourbonnais between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Future

Located in the heart of the Sologne Bourbonnaise, in the north of the department of Allier, twelve kilometers from Moulins by the N°7, surrounded by a large landscaped park, the castle of the Riau is slowly discovered at the end of an alley of lime trees up to the dormant bridge. From the outset, the visitor is seduced by the harmony of its proportions emphasized by a medieval garden bringing an additional charm and sweetness to the place. We are happy to welcome you there for a visit or a stay.

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