Château des Fougis

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château des Fougis stands about 2 km north-west of the village of Thionne, in the Allier. The first known lord of the place, Hugonin Le Long, is mentioned as early as 1461; his family held the fief until the French Revolution. The present château, built of polychrome red and black brick with white limestone surrounds, dates from the late 16th century. In 1727 the fief passed to Jean de Berthier de Bizy, then in 1802 to Antoine Clayeux, a timber merchant, whose family remained the owners until the early 21st century. In 2001 the German artist Erich Engelbrecht (1928–2011) acquired the estate and created a park of monumental steel sculptures there, now comprising some thirty works spread over part of the property's 130 hectares, with ponds and woodland trails. The château itself is not protected as a historic monument and is not open to visitors, but the park and its sculpture trail are open to the public by reservation.