Château d'Essalois
Encyclopedia
The Château d'Essalois is a restored castle
in the commune
of Chambles
in the Loire
département of France, overlooking a dammed portion of the Loire River, Lake Grangent.
oppidum
(occupied by the Ségusiaves from 170BC to 25BC) extended for 500m behind the castle in a place known as "le palais" (the palace). The remains of the oppidum walls are buried by broom
. Finds of amphora
s and coins during the archaeological excavations carried out by Preynat revealed the existence of an important wine trade with Italy, before the Roman
occupation.
In 1378, Arthaud de Villedieu paid homage to the Count of Forez
for the house and the tower of Essalois which oversaw the Loire.
In 1464, the tower of Essalois belonged to Beraud de la Bâtie.
So far, the vestiges of this early construction have not be identified.
The castle as it currently appears was built mainly in 1580 by Léonard de Bertrand, Seigneur of Essalois and master of water and forests in Montbrison. In 1590, the castle was plundered by Catholic League
troops commanded by Honore d'Urfé.
The seigniory which included Chambles, Périgneux
, Saint-Marcellin
and Saint-Rambert
passed in the 17th century to the lords of Sury-le-Comtal
, the De la Veuhes, and through them to the Sourdis family.
In 1671, Catherine d' Entraigues, widow of Pierre Sourdis, sold the seigniory to the Camaldolese
monks at Val Jésus. The Camaldoleses kept the castle until 1798.
In the 18th century, the estate was sold as national property to Pierre Théollière of Réardière, and it then passed successively to several owners. It comprised then the old castle, consisting of two towers, a barn, farm buildings and stables, surrounded by wood, forests, meadows, rocks and heather, with approximately 718 smallholdings. This inventory of 1791 and studying the plans of the deed makes it possible to distinguish in the buildings at least two parts, of which the oldest is obviously the southern half comprising the two round towers.
who restored it and bequeathed it to the Hospices of Saint-Étienne. The east and west facades carry obvious signs (vertical joints, replaced masonry) which make it possible to distinguish the two restoration campaigns. The brick works carries the hallmarks of the 19th century. On the western facade is the coat of arms
of Hippolyte Sauzéa.
In 1976, the Syndicat Mixte d’Aménagement des gorges de la Loire (seven communes bordering the Grangent Lake) and the of the Loire acquired the Château d'Essalois. From 1983, restoration continued under the direction of Gilles Michelou, with the assistance of Mr. Lazar, architect of Bâtiments de France.
The castle, by its size and its position, occupies one of the strong points of the Gorges of the Loire. Its tower offers a splendid view of the landscape, including the Grangent lake and the Château de Grangent
below.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Chambles
Chambles
Chambles is a commune in the Loire department in central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire department...
in the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
département of France, overlooking a dammed portion of the Loire River, Lake Grangent.
Site of ancient occupation
The castle stands on a natural strategic strong point, inhabited by mankind since time immemorial. The very important GallicGaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
(occupied by the Ségusiaves from 170BC to 25BC) extended for 500m behind the castle in a place known as "le palais" (the palace). The remains of the oppidum walls are buried by broom
Broom (shrub)
Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae, mainly in the three genera Chamaecytisus, Cytisus and Genista, but also in many other small genera . All genera in this group are from the tribe Genisteae...
. Finds of amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
s and coins during the archaeological excavations carried out by Preynat revealed the existence of an important wine trade with Italy, before the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
occupation.
Unknown origin
The oldest documents mentioning the castle are from the 14th century. The puy (hill) of Essalois is quoted in charters from 1337 onwards, variously named Podium deysaluym, Mons deysaluym and Suc du Pré.In 1378, Arthaud de Villedieu paid homage to the Count of Forez
Forez
Forez is a former province of France, corresponding approximately to the central part of the modern Loire département and a part of the Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme départements....
for the house and the tower of Essalois which oversaw the Loire.
In 1464, the tower of Essalois belonged to Beraud de la Bâtie.
So far, the vestiges of this early construction have not be identified.
16th century construction
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
troops commanded by Honore d'Urfé.
The seigniory which included Chambles, Périgneux
Périgneux
Périgneux is a commune in the Loire department in central France....
, Saint-Marcellin
Saint-Marcellin, Isère
Saint-Marcellin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-References:*...
and Saint-Rambert
Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert
Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert is a commune in the Loire department in central France.-References:*...
passed in the 17th century to the lords of Sury-le-Comtal
Sury-le-Comtal
Sury-le-Comtal is a commune in the Loire department in central France....
, the De la Veuhes, and through them to the Sourdis family.
In 1671, Catherine d' Entraigues, widow of Pierre Sourdis, sold the seigniory to the Camaldolese
Camaldolese
The Camaldolese monks and nuns are part of the Benedictine family of monastic communities which follow the way of life outlined in the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century...
monks at Val Jésus. The Camaldoleses kept the castle until 1798.
In the 18th century, the estate was sold as national property to Pierre Théollière of Réardière, and it then passed successively to several owners. It comprised then the old castle, consisting of two towers, a barn, farm buildings and stables, surrounded by wood, forests, meadows, rocks and heather, with approximately 718 smallholdings. This inventory of 1791 and studying the plans of the deed makes it possible to distinguish in the buildings at least two parts, of which the oldest is obviously the southern half comprising the two round towers.
19th century: first restoration
The castle was in ruins when it was bought towards the end of the 19th century by Hippolyte Sauzéa, a merchant in Saint-ÉtienneSaint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
who restored it and bequeathed it to the Hospices of Saint-Étienne. The east and west facades carry obvious signs (vertical joints, replaced masonry) which make it possible to distinguish the two restoration campaigns. The brick works carries the hallmarks of the 19th century. On the western facade is the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Hippolyte Sauzéa.
Current restoration
The castle, by its size and its position, occupies one of the strong points of the Gorges of the Loire. Its tower offers a splendid view of the landscape, including the Grangent lake and the Château de Grangent
Château de Grangent
The Château de Grangent is a castle in the commune of Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert in the Loire département of France.At the time of its construction, originally around 800, it was on a promontory standing some 50 metres above the Loire River. The building of the Grangent dam means that it is now on a...
below.
Sources
- Information panel on the site, citing :
- Jean-Paul Preynat, Un haut lieu Celtique en Forez : l'oppidum d'Essalois, 1992 ISBN 2-9506576-0-5.
- Emile Salmon, Château en Forez, vol 1, 1916.
- Albert Boissier, Chambles, la région illustrée, 1934.