Saint-Maurice Castle

Saint-Maurice Castle, locally known as Château de Saint-Maurice, lies in the village of Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire, in the Loire department in France.

The castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier wooden stronghold. It occupied a commanding site above the junction of the Loire River and the Ris Serpentin stream. Today, the river gorge has been transformed into the Lake Villerest reservoir.

Saint-Maurice was initially the fief of the lords of Saint-Maurice until 1220, then became part of the County of Forez and, consequently, the Duchy of Bourbonnais. In 1533, it was established as a royal châtellenie, but later declined when its administrative rights were transferred to the Duchy of Roanne. The troops of Cardinal Richelieu dismantled the castle in 1626.

Today, only parts of the defensive walls and the massive circular keep remain. The keep originally stood about 17 meters tall, with an internal diameter of roughly 4.5 meters and walls about 3 meters thick at the base. Its entrance was about 6 meters above ground level on the first floor, located above a blind ground-floor chamber used for storage. The current entrance is modern.

Currently, Saint-Maurice Castle is freely accessible. You can climb to the top of the keep for a great panoramic view. A nice castle ruin in a small medieval village.

Gallery