Château de Fontariol

Rescued from a state of ruin in the 1980s, the Château de Fontariol is an authentic example of a Bourbonnais knight’s château from the Middle Ages.

Site History

Fontariol is a small Bourbonnais knight’s château from the end of the Middle Ages. Modest and rustic, it was likely built between 1450 and 1550. The transformations it underwent in the 18th century were minor, unlike most houses of this style and period. Together with the 18th-century agricultural buildings that surround it, it forms an entirely enclosed ensemble representative of a small Bourbon stronghold. 

Different noble families inhabited the château before the Revolution. Part of the manor was transformed at the end of the 18th century under the ownership of Marguerite de Louan, who, in 1775, left Fontariol to her cousin Charles de Biotieres de Chassincourt, Marquis de Tilly and Brigadier General of the Armies of the King under Louis XVI. In the 19th century, the château became a farm, jointly owned by the Boucomont and Meilheurat families. These two families kept Fontariol as a farm until the end of the 1960s. The estate was in a state of peril by 1987, when it was purchased, saving it from ruin.

About the Project

The restoration project concerns the 15th-century wing of the manor house, including masonry, carpentry, the wooden frame and the roof. This will make the wing accessible, in keeping with the continual restoration of all parts of this former agricultural domain.

Château de Fontariol Today

This now-preserved rural estate hosts cultural activities such as concerts, theater productions and an open-air cinema in the lower courtyard. A cultural association was created in 2018 to further develop these activities. Future plans to promote local tourism include renting out the stateroom and stables for events, opening a bed and breakfast and rural inn, and organizing bike tours of the region.