Montgilbert Castle

A little history
A key point between Auvergne, Forez and Bourbonnais, Montgilbert was probably built by the Saint-Gérand family, around 1250, during the reign of Saint-Louis. Around 1280, it was bought by the Aycelin de Montaigu family, wealthy bourgeois from Auvergne, who were later ennobled.

By marriage, the castle passed to the Vienna family. However, from 1434 to 1439, during the Hundred Years War, it was confiscated for the benefit of Rodrigue de Villandrando, Spanish mercenary in the pay of King Charles VII. Important modifications (bastion, external enclosure ...) are carried out there.

During the Renaissance, Montgilbert became less and less a place of residence for its owners, the family of Saulx-Tavannes. The wars of religion bloody the country and the Bourbonnais is permanently attached to France.

Under Louis XIV, the owners lived at the court. Some parts of the castle are abandoned and its ruin begins. Around 1770, the last heir, Jean Baptiste Bravard d'Eyssat Duprat, returned to Montgilbert with his mother who, to force him to leave this old-fashioned castle, would have stripped the roof.

In 1793, the castle was sold as national property. In the 19th century, it served as a stone quarry for the inhabitants of the surroundings, which only accelerated its ruin.

It was listed in the additional inventory of historic monuments on October 11, 1930. After a first workcamp of volunteers in 1973, the Association for the enhancement of the castle of Montgilbert was created in 1974; she joined the REMPART Union the same year.

Architectural description
Built in the 13th century, the Château de Montgilbert is located at the top of a rocky mound in one of the meanders of the Vareille, a stream feeding the Sichon, a small tributary of the Allier.

It is made up of two enclosures:

The outer wall protects the castle on two of its four sides. It is an enclosure which follows the contour lines and which is reinforced by two round towers, a square tower (porch tower), loopholes, breteches and, sometimes, a covered way. The construction is heterogeneous and spanned over time. Some parts are very clearly designed and intended to accommodate hourds, others are limited to a simple wall. The lower courtyard is bounded by the outer wall and the upper castle. Today, this courtyard is empty but it housed buildings and outbuildings, constructed in a sketchy manner and of which there are only few traces. This enclosure was altered in the 15th century to adapt it to the emerging artillery: gunboats were added, a bastion with thick walls condemned the original entrance too exposed, a tower (the Angèle tower) was added and equipped with an artillery platform.

The high enclosure, of square plan, includes round towers at the corners, where you can still see beautiful vaults (Chapel). It also included square towers in the center of the curtain walls which have mostly disappeared. This enclosure was crowned with a covered way. A door with portcullis, framed by two towers ("châtelet of access to the high court" or châtelet of entry), gives access to the high court where were the stately homes with the ceremonial room, the commons with the kitchen and its large fireplace, as well as many storage areas: water tank, wheat silo and cellars under the houses with their access staircase. A covered gallery ran alongside the buildings on the side of the upper courtyard.

From the 15th century, these buildings were modified to make them more comfortable: opening of windows, installation of wall plasters, construction of an access ramp to the postern located in the stately homes.

The castle was then abandoned, abandoned rooms, walled windows, until it was completely abandoned at the end of the 18th century, shortly before the revolution.

The work carried out by volunteer sites since 1973
The first workcamps of volunteers first cut the trees and brush that had invaded the ruins, then carried out clearances which made it possible to reveal in the high court the walls of the stately homes and outbuildings.
Then the restitution and the rocking of the walls took place. Work has also been carried out on certain elements of the upper courtyard such as the Chapel and Red Devil towers in particular.
Then from 1983, it is the main door of the high castle which was restored, after an archaeological survey to find the piers and a long work of masonry.
Since 1985, restoration work has also focused on the exterior wall: the wall itself, the 15th century bastion, the Angèle tower and the adjacent loopholes, the prison tower. In addition to masonry work, archaeological surveys have also been conducted on this part of the castle.

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Member association in charge of the organization

Association de Montgilbert

Association de Montgilbert
Chez Claude Purpan
113 bd Beaumarchais
75003 Paris

Location : 03250 Ferrières-sur-Sichon / Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / France