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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Château de Fourchaud

Besson, Allier, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, classified (classé), in part
Protection
classé MH partiellement, inscrit MH partiellement, protection totale
Extent of protection
Courtine ouest et tour ronde de l'angle sud-ouest : inscription par arrêté du 30 mai 1928 ; Château et tour ronde y attenant : classement par arrêté du 30 mai 1932
Protection dates
1928/05/30 : inscrit MH, 1932/05/30 : classé MH
Type
château
Main period of construction
14e siècle, 15e siècle, 16e siècle
Ownership
propriété privée
Commune
Besson
Département
Allier
Region
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Country
France
Coordinates
46.45330, 3.25569
Mérimée reference
PA00092997

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1632 map "Carte du Pais de Bourbonois." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Get directions ↗

This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

Les constructions sont des 14e et 15e siècles. Au 16e siècle, cet édifice devait être une forteresse comprenant, outre le château, une cour rectangulaire fermée par de hautes courtines dont les angles étaient flanqués de tours rondes. La courtine ouest a conservé la porte d'entrée primitive qui était défendue par un pont-levis. Le corps de logis, accompagné d'une tour, comporte deux étages sur rez-de-chaussée, tous plafonnés. Chaque étage se compose de deux pièces. Les caves sont voûtées. Les pavillons d'avant-corps ont perdu leurs machicoulis. Le château constitue une des forteresses féodales les mieux conservées du Bourbonnais.

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

The constructions are from the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 16th century, this building must have been a fortress comprising, besides the castle, a rectangular court enclosed by high curtain walls whose angles were flanked by round towers. The west curtain wall has preserved the primitive entrance door which was defended by a drawbridge. The main dwelling, accompanied by a tower, comprises two storeys above ground floor, all with ceilings. Each floor consists of two rooms. The cellars are vaulted. The pavilion projections have lost their machicolations. The castle constitutes one of the best preserved feudal fortresses of the Bourbonnais.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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