Lupé

Geography

Blasonnement

The weapons of Lupé are, according to Anne d' Urfé (brought back by Malta-Brown in illustrated France , volume III, 1882):

Semi-party of gold and mouths, to three fasces of azure on the mouths. (They are the weapons of the family of Gaste de Lupé.)

History

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

THE CASTLE OF LUPÉ

Architecture

The historical heritage and architectural of this modest village is characterized by an important medieval castle whose principal interest is its state of conservation. He is regarded as the floret of the Regional Park of Pilat.

Located at the exit of the throats of Malleval, it controls and defends the access to the plate which serves the Pilat mount. Such as it is presented to us today, it with the shape of an irregular polygon, resembling D capital letter which seems to follow the rock base on which it is built and is articulated around an interesting interior court.

A long reflection and a meticulous study of the frame led the specialists to think that at the end of XIIe or beginning of XIIIe century one started by setting up a house-turn, left square keep in four levels and an enclosure which was used as farmyard. In XVe century, the castle took its current aspect while developing starting from this enclosure and delimiting an interior court whose function was to light the parts thus lately created. The old keep was included in the construction industry, one still distinguishes it in the north-western angle.

The unit was crowned of a covered way on trefoil arches and machicolation with triple corbels. A new keep, circular, plus symbolic system that defensive was built out of spur, with the south-eastern angle and one knows that it carried merlons and crenels, capped with a high roof in pepper plantation.

The access to the fortress, because it was from now on about a true castle-extremely, was made southern part, by a single open door on the valley and defended by a drawbridge and a bretèche. This drawbridge was still attested at the 17th century. At that time, a fire in the roofs was at the origin of the disappearance of the covered way of the north-western frontage and the circular keep was levelled on the level of the roofs. One still distinguishes the windows from the disappeared stage. The generations which followed one another there, marked it with the liking of the modes and the needs, sometimes of a defensive aspect, sometimes of a country air, sometimes of the refinement and graces of a residence of pleasure. Thus, this austere fortress during the centuries was made more livable, in particular by increasing the number of the openings. With the Rebirth, the lords of the place reflect the interior court with the last style by opening beautiful mullioned windows and Corinthian capitals.

Historical

This castle made dream and to be delirious of many pseudo-historians bus the seigniory of Lupé is attested as of the Early middle ages. The site was initially occupied by a Gallo-Roman villa: Villam Lupoicam.

Lupé appears in the history through some dates. At the time mérovingienne, in 665, one of the first lords of Lupé, Valdebert, assist his/her relative, Saint-Ennemond, in his last moments.

One finds mention into 1066 of a lord of Lupé, Guigo Falasterius, in the cartulaire of the monastery of Saint-Saver-in-Street. This noble family Falasterius (name francized in Falatier) made build the castrum at the end of XIIe century and preserves it during more than five hundred years by always transmitting it by the women.

The downward last of Falatier, Louise, wife a nearby lord, Gastonnet de Gaste which, chamberlain of Charles Ier de Bourbon, count de Forez, obtains from it the rights of average and high justice for its seigniory of Lupé. Their son was chamberlain of the king Louis XI and their grandson, chamberlain of the king Charles VIII.

The most outstanding character of this family was Marguerite de Gaste de Lupé, of a rare beauty, which inspired Honore d' Urfé for his novel Astrée. His/her brother Anne d' Urfé, poet, very in love with the lady dedicated the many ones to him towards. But it is Jean d' Apchon, baron de Montrond, whom she married in 1570. Remained widowed, it remarie in 1580 with Aymard de Grolée-Mouillon, baron de Bressieu into Dauphine.

From their union will be born Catherine who transmits in 1598 the ground of Lupé to her Rostaing husband of the Balsam, count de Suze. Start then for Lupé one period of records and splendor. Various alliances by marriage made descendants of Falatier, rich and titrated characters. They live between their five castles: Lupé, Rochefort, Bressieu into Dauphine, Montrond Drill some and Suze the Russet-red one, in Provence. This boom lasts during all the XVIIe century.

“At the end, very” such wears was the currency as of the Balsam of Suze. They had seen right because at the beginning of XVIIIe, they are practically ruined. After having sold the baronnie of Bressieu in 1720, they separate from Lupé in 1734.

The castle leaves then the family of the large lords of Lupé and will be sold five times. After one long period of abandonment and mutilation, it is acquired in 1987, by its current owners who restore it and live it all the year.

Today, one can say that the castle of Lupé found, if not its records of antan, at least the dignity which it deserves. It is registered with the Inventory of the Historic buildings and is not opened any more with the visit.

Personalities related to the commune

See too

Common of the Loire

External bonds

Lupé on the site of the national geographical Institute
Lupé on the site of INSEE
Lupé on the site of Quid
Localization of Lupé on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Lupé on Mapquest

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