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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Arlempdes, perched on a rocky piton above the Loire Valley, is mentioned for the first time in 1267 in a bubble of Pope Clement IV. This strategic site, now in ruins, preserves architectural elements of the twelfth, thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the chapel Saint-Jacques (XII century), the only vestige of the primitive castle. The foundations date back to the 13th century, while the remaining fortifications and buildings were mainly rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Poitiers family, after the marriage of Charles de Poitiers with a heiress of the Baron of Maubec in 1450. This dynastic link made Diane de Poitiers the lady of Arlempdes, although her direct role in the works remains undocumented.

The castle was looted in 1585 during the Wars of Religion, marking the beginning of its decline. Its defences, concentrated on the north and west sides, included six round towers, a square tower, and a round road to the southwest. The south-east side of the Loire was not fortified. A middle wall, flanked by a large round tower, separated the site in two: to the south, an esplanade; to the north, the entrance and buildings from which remain only vaulted ground floor, including a kitchen with fireplaces and a cistern. The chapel, an independent building, and an adjacent house body are the only buildings still standing.

Ranked a historic monument in 1926, the castle was recently acquired by an anonymous buyer for a symbolic sum, with the aim of ensuring its restoration, maintenance and animation. The remains illustrate the evolution of medieval military techniques, from Romanesque origins to Renaissance adaptations. The site, owned by an association, remains partially accessible and bears witness to the feudal history of the Haute-Loire, between religious conflicts and noble alliances.

The historical sources underline his role as "first castle of the Loire", according to historian Christian Corvisier, because of his position upstream of the river. The excavations and architectural studies reveal a continuous occupation from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, with phases of reconstruction linked to the changes of owners and the damage suffered. Today, the castle of Arlempdes combines picturesque ruins and preservation efforts, offering a panorama of the valley and the fortified village in the 14th century.

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