Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Verger, located in Artonne in Puy-de-Dôme, has its origins in the early seventeenth century. The oldest part of the estate includes a square dovecote of 1600 bolts and the north wing of the castle, an old house with thick walls, equipped with a turret of square staircase. These elements reflect a defensive architecture typical of the time, adapted to the needs of a rural seigneurial residence.

Around 1770, the castle was enlarged by the addition of a south wing, whose facade has a regular order of spans under a roof with a broken roof covered with flat tiles. The interior preserves a straight stone staircase and rooms with restored decorations (pathways, paintings, floors), testifying to the architectural refinement of the eighteenth century. The interior distribution, preserved, illustrates the evolution of aristocratic lifestyles.

The gardens, built from 1990 to the east and south of the castle, reuse existing terraces bounded by retaining walls. Accessible by stairs, they integrate basins, fountains, flower beds and a vegetable garden, while orchards extend over the hillside. These 20th century landscape developments are part of a desire to enhance the historical and natural heritage.

The castle, its outbuildings (including the dovecote) and its terraced gardens were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 9 March 2010. This protection recognizes the architectural coherence of the site, mixing medieval heritage, classical embellishments and contemporary restorations. The ensemble offers a representative example of the evolution of a noble home in Auvergne over four centuries.

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