En un regard
Le château en bref
Perched on a basalt promontory almost a thousand metres above sea level, facing the Sancy massif, Murol Castle is one of the most spectacular fortresses in the Auvergne. Founded in the 12th century and largely built in the 13th, it was reinforced in the 1390s by Guillaume II de Murol, then adapted to firearms until the early 17th century. In the 15th century, the marriage of the heiress Jehanne de Murol to Gaspard d'Estaing passed it to that powerful family, whose influence at court spared it from the demolition ordered by Richelieu. The rocky base is enclosed by walls ten metres high. Inside are a keep linked to a tower by a curtain wall, two chapels dating from the 13th and 15th centuries, a Renaissance pavilion, spiral staircases, and the remains of kitchens, an oven and outbuildings. Used as a prison and then as a brigands' stronghold during the Revolution, it fell into disrepair before being listed as a historic monument in 1889. Henri-Guillaume de Chabrol gave it to the Département in 1890, and the commune has owned it since 1953. The castle-museum hosts visits and medieval-themed events.