En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château de Billy is a former fortified castle of the 13th and 14th centuries, now in ruins, whose remains stand in the commune of Billy, in the Allier department. Built by the first lords of Bourbon to defend the Allier valley, it has a main enclosure of ovoid plan, a hexagonal tower overlooking the town and a gatehouse defending the entrance; the wall-walk of the southern curtain wall offers a panorama over the valley. Its history is bound up with that of the House of Bourbon until the confiscation of the Constable of Bourbon's property in the 16th century. The castle's remains have been protected as historic monuments since 1921 (classement) and 1929 (inscription of the outer enclosure). Privately owned, the site is open to visitors by reservation, with bilingual French–English guided tours lasting about an hour.