En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château des Étourneaux is a 15th-century fortified house located on Avenue des Étourneaux in Montluçon (Allier). According to a tradition reported by several sources, it is said to have been built on the initiative of Duke John II of Bourbon, who reportedly gave it in 1484 to one of his natural children; the Mérimée record, for its part, places the property around 1490 in the hands of Hugues Pinelle, a royal revenue collector. The estate then passed to several families, including Marguerite Pinelle in 1647, Gilbert Tardé de Lavaux in 1708, and Pierre Aujay de Grosbost in 1723. The building, rectangular in plan, has two large rooms on each level with surviving hooded fireplaces, a square spiral-staircase tower flanked by a turret, and a vaulted lean-to that may have served as a chapel. The street façade features moulded windows above a plinth pierced with gunports and arrow slits, reflecting its defensive character. Fragments of wall painting survive inside. The façades, roofs, the spiral staircase with its doors and two fireplaces have been listed as historic monuments (inscrits) since 15 January 1974. Privately owned, the château does not appear to be open to the public.
