Rescue and restoration of the Château des Cornes d'Urfé, a medieval fortress in peril at Champoly, in the Loire
Champoly: the Cornes d'Urfé, a fortress in peril, secures £378,973 to rise again
Threatened with collapse, the Château des Cornes d'Urfé in the Loire has raised £378,973 through the Loto du Patrimoine and private sponsorship. A full restoration is planned between 2026 and 2028, with an opening for Heritage Open Days.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Crumbling façades, cracked curtain walls, and crumbling masonry: several areas of the Château des Cornes d'Urfé in Champoly, Loire, have been flagged as hazardous. This medieval fortress, founded around 1130 by the Urfé family, has just secured £378,973 to fund its complete restoration between 2026 and 2028, following an intensive summer of 2025 volunteer-led international works.
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A volcanic fortress on the brink of ruin
Built between the 12th and 16th centuries on a volcanic rock outcrop, the Château des Cornes d'Urfé was once the seat of the powerful Urfé family, straddling the borders of Auvergne. Occupied until the mid-17th century, it then fell into disrepair: sold in 1781 to Durand-Antoine de Meaux (guillotined in 1793), the site was plundered and used as a stone quarry before the legitimate heirs returned. A first restoration of the keep was undertaken in 1914, but the elements and vandalism continued to degrade the structure. Since 1979, the Association pour la Renaissance d'Urfé has managed the site, organising volunteer-led works and cultural events.
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£378,973 raised for restoration
The funding comprises £300,000 from the Loto du Patrimoine, £73,000 from sponsorship and other grants, and £5,973 from ongoing public donations. Following international volunteer-led consolidation works on the towers and battlements between July and September 2025, a full restoration of the site is scheduled for 2026–2028. The monument was also identified in 2025 by the mission to assess at-risk heritage properties.
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An opening for Heritage Open Days
On 19 and 20 September 2026, the château will open for European Heritage Open Days, giving the public a chance to see the progress of the restoration works and the measures taken to secure visits, including masonry consolidation and protection of unstable areas.
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