The Château d'Alleuze is a ruined castle situated in the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Alleuze Alleuze (; oc, Alueisa) is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region of south-central France. Geography Alleuze is located some 7 km due south of Saint-Flour on the edge of the Planèze plateau. Access to the commune is by ...

, in the

Cantal Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with its prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour (the episcopal see) and Mauriac; its residents are known as Cantalians (fren ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Built in the 13th century by the constables of

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

, it belonged to the bishops of Clermont. During the Hundred Years War it was seized for the English by Bernard de Garlan. For seven years, he sowed terror throughout the region, pillaging and holding to ransom. To avoid troubles from any Garlan successors, the inhabitants of

Saint-Flour Saint-Flour (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Flor'') is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region in south-central France, around 100 km south of Clermont-Ferrand. Its inhabitants are called ''Sanflorains''. Geography The upper cit ...

burned down the castle in 1405. Monseigneur De la Tour, owner of the castle, was very upset with this gesture, and obliged the Sanflorains to rebuild it on the original plan. It was taken by

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

in 1575. The towers were used as jails by the bishops of Clermont. The castle is built on a square plan, with round towers in each corner, characteristic of the 14th century. It includes a chapel, Saint-Illide, built in the 13th and 15th centuries. Today, the edifice is maintained as a ruin and has been listed, along with the chapel, since 1927 as a '' monument historique'' by the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visua ...

. According to the Michelin Green Guide to the Auvergne and Rhône Valley, which rates it as two stars ("worth a detour"), "There can scarcely be another beauty spot in the Auvergne as romantic as the site of this castle."

Gallery

File:Truyère Château d'Alleuze.jpg, Truyère river and Château d'Alleuze Château D’Alleuze.jpg Image:Chateau Alleuze 3.png Image:Aleuze.jpg File:Château d’Alleuze inside.jpg, interior File:Château d’Alleuzeinside2.jpg, interior

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alleuze, chateau Houses completed in the 13th century Houses completed in the 15th century Ruined castles in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Monuments historiques of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cantal

Gallery

See also

References

External links