En un regard
Le château en bref
In the commune of Courpière, in the Dore valley, the Château de la Barge takes its name from a family mentioned as early as 1190. In 1257, the estate was held in fief by Étienne de Thiers, and the château was built in the 14th century. In the 16th century, Étienne de La Barge, canon-count of Lyon, remodelled it into a more open residence: in particular, he had a colonnade added in 1517 to the façade overlooking the garden, a rare feature in Auvergnat houses of the period. The rectangular main building, on three storeys, is flanked by circular towers that have kept their small arrow loops, a reminder of its defensive past. The chapel retains 16th-century stained glass. François-Christophe de La Barge was still living at the château in 1674, and the estate then passed by marriage to the Montmorin family in 1711. The château is open to guided visits in July and August, in the afternoon.