Château de Montgilbert

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Montgilbert is a ruined fortified castle located in the commune of Ferrières-sur-Sichon, in the Allier department, about 25 km south-east of Vichy. Set on a rocky promontory in a meander of the Vareille stream, it was built around 1250, during the reign of Saint Louis, by the Saint-Gérand family. Trapezoidal in plan, flanked by four round corner towers and with square towers defending the curtain walls, it is surrounded by two concentric enclosures. Having passed around 1280 to the Aycelin family and then, through marriage, to the de Vienne family, it was confiscated between 1434 and 1439 for the benefit of the Spanish mercenary Rodrigo de Villandrando, in the service of Charles VII, who had artillery batteries and a thick-walled bastion added. Subsequently owned by the Saulx-Tavannes family, it was gradually abandoned from the reign of Louis XIV onwards, as its owners resided at court. Sold as national property in 1793, it was then used as a stone quarry by local residents, which accelerated its deterioration. Listed as a historic monument (inscrit) on 11 October 1930, it now belongs to the Delacour family and, since 1974, has been the subject of volunteer restoration projects run by an association affiliated with the Union REMPART. The site is freely accessible all year round, with guided tours offered during the spring and summer school holidays.