Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Lévis, located in Lurcy-Lévis in the Allier, was built in 1655 under the reign of Louis XIV. It replaces an ancient medieval castle named Poligny, owned by the lords of Bannegon and then of the Lévis since the 15th century. Its sober architecture, typical of the seventeenth century, includes a central body flanked by two pavilions, a courtyard of honor lined with outbuildings, and a tree driveway leading to the entrance. The estate, erected as a marquisat and later as a duchy-pairy in the 18th century, remained in the Lévis family until 1744.

Inside, the castle preserves original elements such as woodwork, French ceilings, and monumental chimneys, including a white stone decorated with a shell in the large living room. The first floor, dedicated to receptions, houses enfilade lounges and a library. The second floor, attic, is illuminated by curved pediment windows. A medieval dovecote, vestige of the primitive castle, remains in the lower courtyard. The estate was listed as a Historic Monument in 1945 for its architectural and landscape ensemble.

The castle changed hands several times after the Lévis: passed to the Castries, then to the architect Hardouin-Mansart of Sagonne (1752), he was victim of a scam linked to the sale of his woods. In the 19th century, it belonged to the Sinety, who installed a porcelain factory there, and then to the Thuret, which modified its structure (added the central pavilion and stairs in 1855). After 1970, the castle suffered major deterioration: looting, abandonment, and aborted projects of transformation into a hotel. Since 2021, an association has been working to safeguard it, with public funds allocated to the restoration of the windows and the chapel.

The history of the castle is marked by influential figures, such as Roger de Lévis, lieutenant general of Bourbonnais, who began his modern construction in the 17th century. His grandson, Charles Eugène de Lévis-Charlus, obtained the erection of the estate in Duchy-Payrie in 1723, a title extinguished at his death. In the 18th century, the Marquis de Castries, future Secretary of State for the Navy, and architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart de Sagonne, grandson of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, left their mark on the place. In the 19th century Isaac Thuret added decorative elements (blasons, stairs) and partially restored the building.

The 20th century saw the castle fall into disuse: it was bought by American investors in the 1970s, partly concreted and abandoned. In the 1990s, Guyot owners briefly opened the site to the public, before closing for security reasons. In 2000, Jean de Menton acquired the estate but did not carry out the necessary work, leading to its accelerated degradation. Since 2018, citizen initiatives (petitions, associations) have tried to mobilize for its preservation, despite obstacles such as the withdrawal of subsidies in 2024.

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