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Origin and history

The castle of Rilhat, located in Cognat-Lyonne in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is an emblematic building of Bourbonnais. Built in the 15th century, it was modified in the 16th and 17th centuries, combining a body of rectangular houses flanked by two round towers and defensive elements like a square tower and the ruins of another, collapsed at the beginning of the 20th century. A defensive tower was later transformed into a dovecote, while the entrance door, surmounted by machicoulis, testifies to its fortified past.

The castle was the indirect scene of the Wars of Religion: in January 1568, the battle of Cognat opposed Protestants and Catholics nearby, destroying the village and the nearby castle of Hautefeuille, owned by a branch of the Motier de La Fayette. During the Revolution, Antoine Cariol alderman applied the decree of 1794 on the destruction of feudal signs. The estate changed hands several times, passing from the Reclesne de Lyonne (until 1844) to Villardi de Montlaur (until 1901), then to the Soucachet family after 1920.

Ranked historic monument in 1990, the castle illustrates the architectural and political evolution of Bourbonnais, from religious conflicts to its role as seigneurial residence. Its inscription underlines its heritage value, linked to local and regional history, especially through the noble families that owned it and the transformations undergone over the centuries.

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