The castle of Villeneuve-Lembron
The Monument
The castle of Villeneuve-Lembron was built at the end of the 15th century for Rigaud d’Aureille, bailiff of the Auvergne mountains and butler of kings Louis XI, Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I.
The Villeneuve grounds were set up as a barony and fell to the Montmorin family’s lot at the beginning of the 16th century. Gaspard de Montmorin, seignior of Saint-Herem, embellished the castle with a huge grotesque painted decor. Parts of it are still in the ceremonial room (embrasure of the windows) and in the big stables.
In 1643, Isaac Dufour, treasurer of France, bought Villeneuve-Lembron and modified the old fortress. He transformed the inner yard, converted the gallery into a portico, decorated the roofs and fireplaces on the first floor… The castle was then given over to the Pélissier de Féligonde family, who kept it until 1919.
The square building is quartered in four towers. A few traces of wall paintings remain in the two galleries of the main building, on the outside walls and in the chapel. The illustration of familiar maxims, such as "la Bigorne et le vieux Maître" or "l’Astrologue", is followed by a decor with scholarly literary references.
Lodging
See the listing of the Hotels in Clermont-Ferrand
Practical information
Château de Villeneuve-Lembron
F-63340 Saint-Germain-Lembron
Going there
From Clermont-Ferrand or Saint-Flour: motorway A 75, exit n° 17 towards Saint-Germain-Lembron, then secondary roads D 48 and D 125 to Villeneuve-Lembron
Localisation
On the Clermont-Ferrand/Saint-Flour road
18 km southwest of Issoire
Visits and admission fees
Open
from May 15 to September 15 : 10-12 and 2-6:30
from September 16 to May 14 : 10-12 and 2-5:30
Closed
on Mondays from September 16 to May 14
on January 1, May 1, November 1, November 11 and December 25