En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château du Lonzat is located in the commune of Marcenat, in the Allier department. Not to be confused with the other château of the same name in Jaligny-sur-Besbre, the site has been occupied by a fortress since at least the 12th century; it was enlarged or rebuilt in the 15th century and then abandoned. The present building, in the Neo-Gothic style, was erected in the 19th century at the initiative of the Comte d'Arfeuilles to plans by the architect Jean Moreau, who preserved the large 15th-century tower of the old castle within the new construction. The L-shaped main building comprises a basement, three floors and an attic, with a pavilion featuring crenellations and machicolations, a corner tower adjoining a chapel, and pointed-arch windows in the Flamboyant style on the lower levels. The château is said to have served as a summer residence for Marshal Pétain in 1944. It is private property, not open to visitors, and can only be seen from the outside.