La Scala

The castle of Chalmazel is located on the commune of Chalmazel, whose medieval name was Saint-Jehan-of-Snows , in the High-Drill, between the towns of Saint-Etienne and Thiers, in France. It dominates the Vallée of Lignon and was built to be an impregnable fortress according to the wish of the count of Drill.

It is registered with the additional inventory of the historic buildings.

History

The fortress was built as from the year 1231, by the lord Arnaud de Marcilly on order of the count Guy IV of Drill which financed construction. The site was covered with wood and almost inaccessible. At the beginning it was rather about a strong Maison, but it was transformed into a true medieval fortress, made to be a barrier with the ambitions of the powerful neighbors of the seigniory of Couzan, with the hands of the family of Damas, been dependant on the Germanic emperor.

Its aspect was dark and severe, with four round towers dominated by a square Donjon, without openings over the sides.

In 1372, Béatrix, the last of Marcilly, which had married in 1364, Mathieu de Talaru, inherited his/her brother Antoine de Marcilly, died at the 25 years age without direct heirs. The seigniory of Chalmazel passed thus to Talaru which was a former noble family of the Lyonese

After the destruction of the Castle of Marcilly, Talaru were folded up with the castle of Chamazel and in 1400, they made build the ramparts, in the form of a pentagonal enclosure and added Mâchicoulis to the keep. After the incorporation of the Drill to the kingdom of France, Talaru served the king in his armies.

With the Rebirth, the marquis de Talaru, of return of the Wars of Italy, will make add embellishments of Renaissance style: openwork frontage, galleries of the interior court and paintings of the vault, sculptures.

But the winters are hard, and starting from 1533, Talaru prefer to live in their Château of Écotay, or in that of Saint-Marcel-of-Cat-like which falls to them by marriage in 1559. Chalmazel was transformed into residence of summer and started to be forsaken.

At the 18th century, Talaru inherit by marriage the castle Chamarande (close to Arpajon, in the south of Paris), and they settled there to be more close to Versailles where Louis de Talaru had important functions at the Court of the king and the army. They forsook the castle as of 1650, making carry out, only the work most urgent; the castle started to surely worsen slowly but.

In 1850, Louis-Justin, the last of the marquis de Talaru, 25e lord of Chalmazel, even of France and ambassador, without heir, bequeathed the castle and wood, at the community of the Sœurs of Saint-Joseph in order to establish a hospital for the canton there and to look after the patients.

The sisters entrepirent some installation and renovation work (roof, covered way, rebuilding of a tower) (rooms of old people's homes and services hotel). Later they transformed it into boarding school for the children of the school of Chamazel.

The sisters gave up definitively the castle in 1972, and rented it with the commune, responsibility to maintain it of and open it with the public, during the beautiful season.

The castle has been bought by new owners, having the will, has restored it, opened it with the visit and has just created rooms of hosts.

Tourism

The castle, of medieval aspect, preserved elements of the strong Maison of the year 1231, but with all the modifications and successive additions brought by Talaru during the centuries: loopholes, bases walls, keep, covered way to machicolation. But it is crossbred elements rebirth: frontage, interior court, galleries, vault.

He visits June at September, and proposes, with the hiring, 5 historical rooms of host of which a continuation.

See too

French Castles alphabetically

External bond

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