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Origin and history

The Château de la Forêt de Viry is an old, strong house built between the 15th and 16th centuries, and remodeled in the 17th century. Located 3 km south-southwest of Liernolles, in the Allier department, it is distinguished by its quadrangular enclosure flanked by round towers at angles. The access is made by a 17th-century gate tower, a vestige of an old drawbridge, while two square "dongeons", joined to the enclosure, keep traces of a watch on a cul-de-lampe. This configuration may reflect a period of co-signuria.

The monument is linked to the French revolutionary history: the registrable conventional Marc Antoine Baudot (1765–37), MP for the Legislative, was born there in 1765. His father, Jean-Marie Baudot, was a farmer on the estate. This strong house, typical of Bourbonnais, illustrates the architectural evolution of seigneurial residences between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The facades and roofs of the main building, its towers, the entrance building and the chapel were inscribed in the historical monuments by order of 7 December 1956. The castle consists of a central body flanked by two round towers to the west and two square towers to the east, integrated into wings in return. Its architecture thus combines medieval defensive elements with later developments, reflecting its adaptation to the residential needs of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Available sources, including the work of Jacques Desforges and René Germain, highlight its importance in local heritage. The castle is one of the historical monuments of the Allier and remains a remarkable example of the bourbon houses, marked by their dual defensive and agricultural vocation. However, its current state and openness to the public are not specified in the documents consulted.

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