The Château de Grangent is a ruined castle in the commune of Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert in the Loire département of France.
At the time of its construction, originally around 800, it was on a promontory standing some 50 metres above the Loire River. The building of the Grangent dam means that it is now on a small island in a lake, the lac de Grangent. It is overlooked by the larger castle, the Château d'Essalois. During the Middle Ages and later, it suffered destruction, rebuilding and several restorations.
It has been listed since 1945 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
The castle is privately owned.

Château de Grangent

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

The Château d'Essalois is a restored castle in the commune of Chambles in the Loire département of France, overlooking a dammed portion of the Loire River, Lake Grangent.
Site of ancient occupation
The castle stands on a natural strategic strong point, inhabited by mankind since time immemorial. The very important Gallic oppidum (occupied by the SégusiaviSégusiavi from 170BC to 25BC) extended for 500m behind the castle in a place known as "le palais" (the palace). The remains of the oppidum walls are buried by broom. Finds of amphoras and coins during the archaeological excavations carried out by Preynat revealed the existence of an important wine trade with Italy, before the Roman occupation.
Unknown origin
The oldest documents mentioning the castle are from the 14th century. The puy (hill) of Essalois is quoted in charters from 1337 onwards, variously named Podium deysaluym, Mons deysaluym and Suc du Pré.
In 1378, Arthaud de Villedieu paid homage to the Count of Forez for the house and the tower of Essalois which oversaw the Loire.
In 1464, the tower of Essalois belonged to Beraud de la Bâtie.
So far, the vestiges of this early construction have not been identified.
16th century construction
The castle as it currently appears was built mainly in 1580 by Léonard de Bertrand, Seigneur of Essalois and master of water and forests in Montbrison. In 1590, the castle was plundered by Catholic League troops commanded by Honore d'Urfé.
The seigniory which included Chambles, Périgneux, Saint-Marcellin and Saint-Rambert passed in the 17th century to the lords of Sury-le-Comtal, the De la Veuhes, and through them to the Sourdis family.
In 1671, Catherine d' Entraigues, widow of Pierre Sourdis, sold the seigniory to the Camaldolese monks at Val Jésus. The Camaldoleses kept the castle until 1798.
In the 18th century, the estate was sold as national property to Pierre Théollière of Réardière, and it then passed successively to several owners. It comprised then the old castle, consisting of two towers, a barn, farm buildings and stables, surrounded by wood, forests, meadows, rocks and heather, with approximately 718 smallholdings. This inventory of 1791 and studying the plans of the deed makes it possible to distinguish in the buildings at least two parts, of which the oldest is obviously the southern half comprising the two round towers.
19th century: first restoration
The castle was in ruins when it was bought towards the end of the 19th century by Hippolyte Sauzéa, a merchant in Saint-Étienne who restored it and bequeathed it to the Hospices of Saint-Étienne. The east and west facades carry obvious signs (vertical joints, replaced masonry) which make it possible to distinguish the two restoration campaigns. The brick works carries the hallmarks of the 19th century. On the western facade is the coat of arms of Hippolyte Sauzéa.
Current restoration
In 1976, the Syndicat Mixte d’Aménagement des gorges de la Loire (seven communes bordering the Grangent Lake) and the département of the Loire acquired the Château d'Essalois. From 1983, restoration continued under the direction of Gilles Michelou, with the assistance of Mr. Lazar, architect of Bâtiments de France.
The castle, by its size and its position, occupies one of the strong points of the Gorges of the Loire. Its tower offers a splendid view of the landscape, including the Grangent lake and the Château de Grangent below.

Château d'Essalois

The Château de Montrond is a ruined castle in the commune of Montrond-les-Bains in the Loire département of France.
As with other ruined feudal castles in the département, such as the Château de Rochetaillée in Saint-Étienne and the Château d'Essalois at Chambles, the Château de Montrond-les-Bains has been partly restored. For some years, a mediaeval festival has been organised in August.
History
The castle is named after Mont Rond, a volcanic dyke which dominates the surrounding plain. A 12th century reference in Latin to a castrum montais rondunti indicates the presence of a small fortification, the property of the Counts of Forez.
In 1302, Count Jean I transferred title to Montrond and its tower to Arthaud de Saint-Germain. Around 1325, Arthaud IV undertook the construction of the first castle. In 1523, the marriage of Arthaud IX to Marguerite d’Albon, the daughter of Jean, governor of the children of François I, allowed the seigneurie of Montrond to reach the height of its renown. The austere fortress was transformed into a beautiful and rich home in Renaissance style.
Heavily involved in the Wars of Religion, the descendants of Arthaud IX retained their property thanks to their fidelity to the royal power.
The family left Montrond in 1730 to establish themselves close to Paris. The last marquis, Antoine-Claude, was guillotined there in April 1793. In September of the same year, the Château de Montrond was burned by a detachment of revolutionary soldiers. The Apchon-Montrond family died out in 1807 with the death of a girl without descendants.
The castle was sold to an individual in 1828 who used it as a quarry for stones. Left abandoned for a century and a half, it was saved from certain ruin by the Association des Amis du château (Association of Friends of the Castle) founded in 1969.
The remains of the castle were listed as a monument historique in 1934, and the whole castle and its surroundings in 1946.

Château de Montrond

Château de Rochebaron caps the top of a rocky outcrop located in the town of Bas-en-Basset, about 1.5 kilometers northwest of this town in the far northeast of the French department of Haute-Loire, bordering the Velay and the former county of Drill. The current ruins are the remains of a large set built in the early fifteenth century on the foundations of an older castle, especially the southern facade include a chapel, the gatehouse turret that adjoins and two high turns, known as circular and triangular tower. The fortress, under the Drill County and subservient in turn to various noble families, was one of the issues of rivalry between the bishops of Puy and the counts of Drill. Gradually abandoned in the seventeenth century, having not even owner since the early nineteenth century, the castle could only decay quickly. An association of volunteers endeavors since 1972 to safeguard and develop it, and arrange tours. Rochebaron The castle is the subject of a classification as historical monuments since December 1951.Rochebaron Castle, which is mentioned for the first time in 1173 in the cartulary of Chamalières Priory, in feudal times was the seat of a stately stronghold occupying a strategic position on the southern edge of Drill County. The jurisdictional territory (commandment) of Rochebaron included all of the large parish of Bas-en-Basset, who had several villages and hamlets. It is possible that the castle was built on the site of an ancient Gallo-romain3 oppidum. Castle Rochebaron belonged in turn to various noble families, the first one being that of Rochebaron, which however does not appear in the texts, through the figure of Pons Rochebaron that from 1169. There is strong admit Rochebaron Castle was founded by the Counts of Forez in the middle of the twelfth century, and the latter the inféodèrent to a family of the same name. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, shared Rochebaron feudal movement was located between two suzeraines powers, who entered in competition several times: Drill County, and the bishop of Puy, which was within the parish of Bas-en- Basset. Moreover, the castle was one of the objects, with other castles Velay, a struggle between the crown of France and the counts of Drill. Evidenced in particular a measure adopted by King Philip Augustus - who, faced with the Count's growing power, intends to ensure control of some castles Velay dependent on the count of Forez - act whereby brocade Rochebaron elected bishop of Puy in 1213, was deposed by the king, who then appointed to this position a cousin of his, Robert Mehun. Moreover, in 1215, Philip Augustus bestowed his cousin suzerainty six castles Velay, which Rochebaron, in principle under the Earl of Drill. However, Robert Mehun failing such obligation made to it, acquire the right the castle, it was in reality never removed from the suzerainty of the Count of Forez, so much so that in 1325, the the then lord of Rochebaron, Érail (or Héracle), made a confession to the count of Forez, except for the village of Bas-en-Basset, who continued to meet the bishop of Puy.
http://www.frenchchateau.net/chateaux-of-auvergne/chateau-de-rochebaron.html