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Origin and history

The Tour du Moulin Neuf is an iconic building located in Châtel-de-Neuvre, in the department of Allier, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. This plain dungeon, built in the early 14th century, is distinguished by its massive and defensive architecture, characteristic of medieval fortifications designed to control strategic axes and crossing points, such as the crossing of the Allier.

The tower, about 25 meters high (36 meters with its roof), adopts a square plane of 10 meters side, originally divided into four levels. It is accompanied by a quadrangular tower with a screw staircase, illuminated by narrow windows. The top of the walls is crowned with heavy, defensive elements typical of the dungeons of this time, while murderers, still visible on the southern facade, recall its military vocation.

Construction of the tower began in 1301, but it was around 1370, under the impulse of Duke Louis II of Bourbon, that it was transformed into a monumental dungeon. This renovation came after an English occupation around 1365, reflecting regional tensions related to the Hundred Years War. The dungeon was then tasked with defending local roads and regulating passages on the Allier, illustrating its key role in Bourbonnais' defensive strategy.

Surrounded by a pond that is almost entirely isolated, the Moulin Neuf Tower embodies both a military architecture adapted to its environment and a testimony to the conflicts that have marked the region. Its state of preservation makes it possible to observe original elements, such as openings pierced on the ground floor or defence systems integrated into its structure.

The historical sources, including the works of René Germain and his collaborators, underline the importance of this monument in the castral heritage of Bourbonnais. The tower is part of a wider network of castles and fortified houses, reflecting feudal organization and local power stakes in the Middle Ages.

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