Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Riau, located in Villeneuve-sur-Allier in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), was built between the 15th and 17th centuries. It replaces a small 14th century castle belonging to Anne de France. Originally, he depended on the parish of Aurouër under the Old Regime. The site consists of a 15th-century house body, commons of the 16th and 17th centuries, and a dovecote in polychrome bricks, all lined with moat.

The castle was built at the initiative of Charles Popillon, an officer of the Dukes of Bourbon, in the 15th century. In 1689, he was bought by the Count des Gouttes, then passed into the hands of Jean-Antoine de Charry des Gouttes, naval officer, at the Revolution. In 1826, Pierre Le Roy de Chavigny, prefect of the Allier under the Restoration, became its owner. His daughter Mathilde transmits it by marriage to the Durye family, which still keeps it today. Pierre Durye (1920-1996), curator at the National Archives, was one of the owners.

The architecture of the castle combines defensive elements, such as a dungeon in red and black bricks flanked by turrets, and additions of the eighteenth century, with two wings surrounding the main house. The central courtyard, lined with commons and a linden, is accessible by a 15th century porch. Outside the enclosure, the tithe barn, dated 1584, is distinguished by its half-timbered facades and polychrome bricks. The castle also houses a collection of paintings by Emmanuel de La Villeon (1858-1944), impressionist painter and grandfather of Madeleine Collard, wife of Pierre Durye.

The Château du Riau enjoyed several protections in respect of historical monuments: inscription of the land in 1946, partial classification (façades, roofs, moats, grates, wash-house, barn) in 1977, and additional inscription (commons, pigeon-house, chimneys) in 1991. These measures preserve a remarkable architectural ensemble, a witness to the stylistic and historical evolutions of the region.

Sources also mention reference works such as Châteaux en Bourbonnais (Raymond Colas, 1983) and Châteaux, fiefs, mots, fortified houses and manor houses in Bourbonnais (2004), which document its history. The castle is also listed in the Mérimée base, dedicated to the French architectural heritage.

External links