The history of the Château
Built during the first half of the 13th century by the La Tour d'Auvergne family, it became its stronghold in 1281. It reflects the military architecture of the Middle Ages with its dominant position, dry moat, ramparts and wall-walk, towers with battlements and machicolations, triple enclosure and central building. It was extended and embellished under the influence of the Renaissance. The sheer size of the buildings makes for an imposing main courtyard, yet it remains elegant thanks to its architectural detail.
Huge windows were added to the outer rampart in the 16th century, and the subsequent dismantling of the fortifications that protected the entrance to the château eventually opened up the main courtyard to offer a view of the village's Romanesque church.
From the 16th century onwards, gardens were also created, overlooking a remarkable and preserved landscape of hills and valleys.
The château entered the history books thanks to the last members of the illustrious La Tour d'Auvergne family: Queen Catherine de' Medici, who inherited the château in 1519 from her mother, Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, and who was the owner up until her death in 1589; and then her daughter, Queen Marguerite of Valois, who passed it on in her will to the future King Louis XIII in 1605, along with all of her possessions in the Auvergne region, in order to help him establish his authority.
It suffered greatly following the Revolution, after its nationalisation and sale at auction in 1793. Another sale in 1850 eventually led to the château being "entrusted", until 1970, to the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, who set up an orphanage there and then a rest home for elderly women.
Inhabited by its new owners since 2007, it is now open to a few privileged guests, thanks to its charming guest suites and rooms that are reached from the main courtyard. These havens of peace are steeped in history and enjoy wonderful and unique views over the main courtyard, the gardens and the village of Saint Saturnin - which is a member of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" association (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France) - and its church, one of the five so-called "Majeure" Romanesque churches of the Auvergne region. They have made this stately home into the truly charming guesthouse that it is today.
It is opening also its doors to more people thanks to weddings, receptions and seminars which are organised in its historical halls and on its terraces that look out over the gardens and the Auvergne Volcanoes Park, and by allowing the general public to visit this historic monument.
These three activities cover the costs of the routine maintenance of the buildings and gardens. But they do not pay for the restoration of the château!
Its restauration Huge windows were added to the outer rampart in the 16th century, and the subsequent dismantling of the fortifications that protected the entrance to the château eventually opened up the main courtyard to offer a view of the village's Romanesque church.
From the 16th century onwards, gardens were also created, overlooking a remarkable and preserved landscape of hills and valleys.
The château entered the history books thanks to the last members of the illustrious La Tour d'Auvergne family: Queen Catherine de' Medici, who inherited the château in 1519 from her mother, Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, and who was the owner up until her death in 1589; and then her daughter, Queen Marguerite of Valois, who passed it on in her will to the future King Louis XIII in 1605, along with all of her possessions in the Auvergne region, in order to help him establish his authority.
It suffered greatly following the Revolution, after its nationalisation and sale at auction in 1793. Another sale in 1850 eventually led to the château being "entrusted", until 1970, to the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, who set up an orphanage there and then a rest home for elderly women.
Inhabited by its new owners since 2007, it is now open to a few privileged guests, thanks to its charming guest suites and rooms that are reached from the main courtyard. These havens of peace are steeped in history and enjoy wonderful and unique views over the main courtyard, the gardens and the village of Saint Saturnin - which is a member of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" association (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France) - and its church, one of the five so-called "Majeure" Romanesque churches of the Auvergne region. They have made this stately home into the truly charming guesthouse that it is today.
It is opening also its doors to more people thanks to weddings, receptions and seminars which are organised in its historical halls and on its terraces that look out over the gardens and the Auvergne Volcanoes Park, and by allowing the general public to visit this historic monument.
These three activities cover the costs of the routine maintenance of the buildings and gardens. But they do not pay for the restoration of the château!
