The Dukes of the Bourbon castle in Montluçon

In 1070, Guillaume, child of Archambaud IV de Bourbon, became Seigneur of Montluçon and built there a first fortress on a castrum.

The English occupied the Castle of Montluçon from 1171 to 1188. After that invasion, Philip Augustus handed it over to the Bourbon Family. The latters transformed it into a stronghold.

The remainder of the Castle was built starting from 1370, at the heart of the Hundred Years' War, by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon.

The edifice was surrounded by a double row of ramparts, was drilled by four doors and counted forty-one watchtowers. During the unification of the Bourbonnais to the crown of France, during the reign of Francis I, the castle was abandoned. Louis II Duke of Bourbon, was the main contributor to the construction of the castle. It was started during the Hundred Years' War, but people still worked on it on the eve of the Renaissance. In the first half of the 14th century, Louis II Duke of Bourbon and his successors raised the big abode, more or less such as it is today. The square tower, the opening of the East facade, the North wing and the Clock Tower are dated from the middle of the 15th century and belong to three construction campaigns, the two first ones being very close to each other. Finally, during the last half of the 15th century, the gallery was raised on the court, and the North inside was embellished.

These varied constructions, even though quite modern, enable us to follow the well-known evolution that was produced in the French military architecture during the 15th century. Louis II Duke of Bourbon, came up with the idea of a real fortified castle that he couldn’t achieve, and which was embellished by his successors, with a gallery, an elegant turret and wide openings, became a place of pleasure for the last Dukes of Bourbon.

It has been abandoned since 1527.

After 1662, the princes of Condé, became lords tenants of crown lands of the Bourbonnais, conceded the castle to a farmer and they became totally disinterested by it. This one is in a very poor shape according to Nicolas de Nicolay who observed that "without really taking care of the roof the castle fell in ruins, which was a "big shame".

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Wikipedia