Apchon Castle: A Medieval Fortress and Seigneurial Residence in France
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page6 sections
History
Medieval origins and reconstruction
Apchon Castle is a medieval fortress and seigneurial residence in France, built for the powerful Apchon family of Haute-Auvergne. Its initial owner is identified as Amblard d’Apchon. The castle was probably constructed during the twelfth or thirteenth centuries and was rebuilt between 1408 and 1422.
A frontier stronghold during the Hundred Years’ War
During the Hundred Years’ War, the prolonged conflict between the English and French crowns from the fourteenth to the fifteenth century, Apchon Castle stood between territory controlled by the English and land still held by the French king. It was attacked several times and served as a base for the reconquest of Limousin.
Decline and protection
The castle was no longer habitable in 1760. It has been a classified site since 1941 and was listed as a historic monument in 2012. The municipality of Apchon owns the ruins and began a safeguarding and security programme after the 2012 listing. Its first phase started in September 2016, with two further phases planned.
Remains
Basaltic summit and fortified enclosure
Apchon Castle now survives as ruins on the summit of a basaltic dyke, a resistant wall-like formation created when volcanic magma solidifies in a fracture, at an altitude of approximately 1,100 metres. Its elevated position overlooks the valleys of the Rhue, Santoire, and Marilhou. The enclosure is strengthened by five round towers and two engaged towers, which are partly incorporated into or project from the surrounding wall. The castle was depicted in an 1852 painting by Auguste Bonheur.
Nearby sites
