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Origin and history

The Château du Pirou, also known as the Hotel du Charriol, is a seigneurial mansion built in 1410 by Louis II de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon and Count of Forez, to serve as a residence for his chestnuts. Located in the medieval center of Thiers, it integrates into the second wall of the city and becomes a symbol of its architectural heritage. In 1907, it was classified as a historical monument by Aristide Briand, Minister of Public Instruction, thus becoming the third well protected in the commune after the church of Saint-Genès and the Abbey of the Moutier.

Acquired by the Charriol family in the 12th century, the building remained in their possession until the 1970s, when the town hall of Thiers bought it back. In the 1980s, under the impetus of MP Maurice Adevah-Peuf and his deputy Jean-Claude Potte, the castle was completely renovated to make it a cultural place. It now hosts the Calamy donation, a collection of European art (Gothic furniture, Flemish paintings, tapestries) offered by a Thiernois family in 2004, as well as the tourist office on the ground floor.

Architecturally, the Pirou is distinguished by its corbelled gable, complex roof and vaulted cellars dug into the rock, formerly connected to a network of underground galleries. Its medieval staircase and its interior elements (roadways, half-timbers, tomettes) make it one of the most beautiful examples of private hotels in the region. The name "Pirou" comes from the peirou auvergnat (perron), evolving over the centuries since Pyron or Piron.

Today, partially open to the public, the castle is visited mainly on European Heritage Days. It embodies both Thiers' medieval heritage and its contemporary cultural dynamism, thanks to exhibitions and the valorisation of Calamy donation.

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