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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Vieille Tour de Marsat, located in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is a medieval vestige of a strong castle probably erected at the beginning of the 12th century. This castle, originally equipped with high walls and scaffolds, was modified in the 16th century with the addition of four towers, of which only two remain today. It was partially destroyed in 1590 by the royalists after the inhabitants supported the League and then dismantled from the Revolution. The tower, classified as a historic monument in 1926, dominates a covered fountain also protected, decorated with statues of the Virgin and Saint John.

The castle of Marsat, linked to the protection of a nearby monastery, appears in the texts in the 12th century with the mention of a lay lord. It was a notable place of passage, welcoming Louis XI in 1465 during the public good league, then Francis I in the 16th century. Today, the ruins, free from vegetation, house Stone Days, a local event celebrating the heritage. The site, integrated into the country of art and history of Riom, is also a Marian shrine on the way to Santiago de Compostela.

The Armorial of Guillaume Revel (15th century) describes Marsat as a castle fortified in ruins, with towering walls. Architectural transformations, such as windows through the sixteenth century, bear witness to its evolution before its decline. The tower, the last major vestige, symbolizes the turbulent history of this place, marked by religious conflicts and revolutionary dismantling.

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