En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château des Écherolles stands about 3.5 km south of the village of La Ferté-Hauterive (Allier), in a wooded park of some fifteen hectares on the banks of the Allier. The Mérimée database entry links the site to historical figures such as Du Guesclin and Jacques Cœur, treasurer to Charles VII, who owned the estate in the 15th century. In the 16th century, the estate passed to the Giraud des Écherolles family; Alexandrine Giraud des Écherolles, a memoirist of the French Revolution, inspired Alphonse de Lamartine. The building, a classic Bourbonnais estate organised around an entrance pavilion and a courtyard closed off by the main residence and two service wings flanked by round towers, dates mostly from the 17th century. Around 1880, the architect Émile Dadolle carried out major alterations: raising the main residence, a covered terrace with a glass canopy, dormer windows and an eclectic decoration combining Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance elements. The château, its interiors, the service buildings, the circular stable, the chapel and the park have been listed as historic monuments since 2003. A private property, the estate is also used as a venue for private events.
