Chalmazel Castle

Chalmazel Castle, locally known as Château de Chalmazel or Château des Marcilly Talaru, lies in the village of Chalmazel-Jeansagnière in the Loire department in France.

Construction of Chalmazel Castle began in 1231 by Arnaud de Marcilly, a vassal of Guigues IV, Count of Forez, who financed it. The castle was strategically situated in the then nearly inaccessible mountains to guard the upper Lignon valley, forming a western approach into Guigues's county. It also served to monitor the nearby seigneury of Couzan, then controlled by the Damas family, who were unreliable vassals of Guigues.

By the mid-14th century, Chalmazel had become one of the four main strongholds in the Monts du Forez region, along with the castles of Couzan, Urfé, and Bâstie d'Urfé.

In 1364, the castle passed to the Talaru family, an old noble family from the Lyonnais, through marriage. Later in that century, the Talarus made Chalmazel their main residence, and in 1400, they reinforced the castle with ramparts, an enclosure, and machicolations.

During the Renaissance, the Talarus enhanced the austere medieval fortress by adding an openwork facade, galleries to the inner court, frescoes in the chapel, and sculptures. However, due to harsh winters, the Talarus opted to move to other castles they owned near the Forez plain in 1533. Chalmazel Castle then became a summer residence and began to be neglected. In 1650, as their influence grew and they moved to Paris to be closer to the royal court, they abandoned it altogether, only carrying out the most urgent work. These efforts did little to halt the castle's decline.

During the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century, the Talarus managed to retain Chalmazel, as they kept a low profile and did not emigrate. This prevented the castle from being confiscated and auctioned.

By 1850, the last Marquis of Talaru bequeathed Chalmazel Castle to the Sisters of Saint‑Joseph, who turned it into a hospice and boarding school. In 1972, the nuns left due to the high maintenance costs, and the castle was leased to the local council.

The current owners acquired the castle in 2002, restored it, and converted it into a hospitality venue and bed-and-breakfast.

Today, Chalmazel Castle can be visited during the summer months as a guest of the B&B. A beautiful castle.

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