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Origin and history

The Mal-Coiffée tower is the last vestige of the medieval castle of the Dukes of Bourbon, built in the 14th century in Moulins. This living dungeon, 45 meters high and measuring 20x14 meters, was integrated into urban fortifications. His nickname would come from Louis II of Bourbon, who would have criticized his appearance by calling it "bad hair". Conceived by the tower, an outdoor gallery of Italian inspiration and a Renaissance pavilion (known as "Anne de Beaujeu") testify to the subsequent transformations.

The original castle, attested from the 11th century, was rebuilt by Louis II between 1366 and 1375, then enlarged in the Renaissance by Pierre II de Bourbon and Anne de Beaujeu. The latter was built in 1497, one of the first Renaissance buildings in France. After the fire of 1755 and the revolutionary dismantlings, today only the tower, the courtine, the tower of archives and cellars remain. A plan of the eighteenth century allows to reconstruct the whole.

The tower served as a prison during World War II (1940-1944), where resistance and Jews were held. It was listed as a historic monument in 1875 and was still home to inmates until 1984. Since 2007, restoration works aim to enhance this site, now open to the public. The renovated Anne de Beaujeu Pavilion now houses the departmental museum of art and archaeology.

The castle was also linked to Queen Louise of Lorraine-Vaudémont, widow of Henry III, who died there in 1601. The present, though partial, vestiges illustrate the architectural evolution of Ducal power in Bourbonnais, between the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The tower, with its six or seven levels, remains a symbol of this turbulent history.

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