Chouvigny: the 13th-century keep opens for Heritage Open Days

ALLIER · Chouvigny

Château de Chouvigny

The Château de Chouvigny stands on a rocky spur rising some 80 metres above the Sioule gorges, in the commune of Chouvigny (Allier). Founded around 1250 by Guillaume I de Chauvigny, it was designed as a military fortress intended to control passage through the valley. Its 13th-century cylindrical keep protects the seigneurial lodgings in enfilade; the watchtower, pierced with fishtail arrow slits (archères en queue de carpe), offers panoramic terraces, and the ensemble also includes a cavalry courtyard and a so-called treasure tower. The seigneury passed by marriage to the Chauvigny de Blot family, then, in the early 15th century, to the Montmorin family. In 1543, the marriage of Françoise de Montmorin brought the château into the La Fayette family, which remained its owner for several generations. Under the Second Empire, the Duc de Morny transformed it into a hunting lodge. Bought in the 1930s by Jean-Louis Rufenacht and his wife, the château was restored over the course of the 20th century. Still a private family property, it houses a collection of medieval arms and armour and opens its doors to the public for summer tours and shows.