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Nestled in a meander of the Allier, this hamlet seems to affectionately surround "its" chateau that watches over the main square. The double alley of lime trees that precedes it softens the building's somewhat defensive allure. One can only imagine the moments of glory and the vicissitudes the property keeps to itself. Whilst traces of the past still remain inside, they have all been transcribed in a perfect renovation that combines the greatest comfort with respect for the property's origins. It is impossible to grow tired of contemplating the nature surrounding the park. Wooded undulations will guide visitors through these Auvergne lands so rich in cultural and natural heritage.
Originally from Auvergne, from Thiers (the capital of cutlery) to be precise, we were looking for a second home in the Forez mountains. In 2019, my wife noticed a chateau for sale in Haut-Allier. I contacted the real estate agent who told me that the owner was from Thiers! I was immediately impressed by the alley lined with four rows of lime trees that stretches for more than two hundred metres, and by the passage under a weeping cedar tree before reaching the stairs leading to the chateau. The owner told me her family name was Couzon. My maternal family, the Chabannes, were associated with the Couzon family for several decades in a major cutlery business. Thus, within twenty-four hours, an agreement had been reached.
A historic monument in its entirety, the chateau is rectangular in plan with a large corner tower to the north-west and a turret with a semi-protruding staircase in the centre of the south facade. The roof is supported all around (including that of the towers) by a neat row of corbels with three projections. The south facade, which is the main one overlooking the courtyard, has large, regular windows on all three floors. In the centre, the large stair tower with a sloped base still features its original windows with moulded frames as well as its original entrance door which is set in a pointed arch frame with a monolithic tympanum. The north facade is distinguished by an entrance door with a moulded arched frame. On this facade, the entrance leads directly to the first floor via a wooden walkway which was once a drawbridge and now connects the garden to the entrance door. Inside, in addition to a stone spiral staircase, beautiful 16th century wooden doors featuring rectangular panels adorned with carved rosettes still remain. The dining room, which was redecorated in the 19th century, has a French ceiling and a monumental wooden fireplace with fluted sides and a lintel with superimposed straight mouldings. The woodwork and French ceiling in the living room on the first floor are remarkable, as is the Volvic stone fireplace in the library.
The Château du Chambon was built in the 15th century by the Blaus, a family of high and ancient chivalry who were known from 1160 for their possessions in the Brioude region. It was in 1409 that Guillaume de Blau, lord of Gibertès, Auvers and Cronce, bought the seigniory of Chambon and abandoned the Château de La Roche-Blau in favour of this place in Chambon where the climate was milder. The family died out in the 17th century after the death of Françoise de Gibertès, and the chateau was sold to a bourgeois from Langeac, Jean Véal. His descendants still owned the property during the Revolution. Jean Balthazar Véal de Blau, a brilliant officer in Condé's army, was hostile to the new regime and was forced to emigrate. His property was placed in sequestration but he returned to France under the Restoration and became mayor of Langeac. When he died without issue, his property was handed over to Messieurs of Lastic and Chazelles. The chateau then changed owners several times.
A unique escape! The chateau is on an exceptional site - a term used by the decree classifying the chateau as a historic monument. Indeed, it faces the Blot cliffs, a major site of European prehistory due to the presence of the Proto-Magdalenian cultures. Cultures which are only known from a few sites, all in the south-west of France. The chateau also overlooks the Allier valley and has a private beach between two blocks of basalt on the right bank of one of the last wild rivers in France. Located on the edge of the hamlet of Chambon, it benefits from a magnificent 2.5 hectare park which stretches down to a swimming pool at the very end of the alley of lime trees. In this magnificent setting, we offer top-of-the-range services, 50m² rooms with dressing rooms and bathrooms, daily cleaning and, if requested, meals with made with local products and a wine list.
The surroundings of the chateau are nothing short of amazing. On one of our first walks we discovered Peyrusse, a small village nearby with a magnificent 12th century castle chapel built on a rocky outcrop. Below the village, the Ramade valley and its stream meander through magnificent nature. Another highlight is a visit to the Resistance Museum of Mont Mouchet about twenty kilometres away. The Maquis du Mont Mouchet was one of the five groups of resistance fighters in France during the Second World War. The presentation is playful, following the story of two comic book characters, which only reinforces the emotional side of this dark period. The village of Chilhac three kilometers away is built on a solidified lava flow and features the very interesting museum of palaeontology. Further on is the village of Lavoûte-Chilhac with a striking natural site formed by the meander of the Allier and a rich architectural heritage.
The chateau can accommodate management seminars and work meetings for up to thirteen people. Accommodation can be provided in the five bedrooms.
ref 995532
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