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Origin and history

Montrond Castle, located in the municipality of Montrond-les-Bains (Loire department), is built on Mont Rond, a volcanic dyke overlooking the plain. As early as the 12th century, a small fortification called castrum montais rounti was attested as property of the Counts of Forez. This strategic site, mentioned in medieval sources, marks the beginning of a military and seigneurial occupation in the region.

In 1302, Count John I of Forez exchanged the commission of Montrond with Arthaud III of Saint-Germain, a member of a powerful forest family. Around 1325, Arthaud IV began the construction of a castle, marking an architectural development phase. The site remains linked to this lineage, which later took the name of Apchon after a marriage alliance in the 16th century with the Albon-Saint-André, strengthening its prestige.

In the 16th century, the marriage of Arthur VII with Marguerite d Montrond's seigneury reached its peak, combining political influence and architectural refinement. The snout windows, chimneys and a flanking tower pierced with snakes date back to this period.

During the Wars of Religion, the owners, who remained faithful to the crown (d-Henri II to Henri IV), saw their castle looted in 1562 by the Huguenots of the Baron of the Adrets, then occupied by the League before being taken over in 1594 by the Marshal of Ornano. These conflicts leave traces in the history of the monument, despite its relative preservation thanks to the royalist allegiance of its lords.

The family left Montrond in 1730 for Paris. In 1793, the last Marquis, Antoine-Louis-Claude d'Apchon, was guillotined, and the castle, occupied by counter-revolutionaries, was burned by order of Claude Javogues. The line died in 1807. In the 19th century, the site was dismantled by Victor Dugas, master of forges, before being saved by the Association of Friends of the Castle (founded in 1969) and bought by the commune in 1984.

Today, the remains of the castle, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1934 and 1946, welcome a biannual medieval festival (since 1999). The 15th century house, chimneys and defensive elements recall its evolution between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, while partial reconstructions have helped stabilize the ruins.

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