Château d'Auzon

The Château d'Auzon is a ruined 14th century castle in the commune of Auzon in the Haute-Loire département of France.

History
The first known lord, Bernard d'Auzon, was mentioned in 1078. During the French Wars of Religion, the castle was taken on the 22 September 1589 by the League forces of Monsieur de Randan. In the 17th century, the buildings were partly demolished. Sold with its estate as a national asset at the time of the French Revolution, the castle was almost entirely destroyed.

Description
The edifice consists of a fortified enceinte built at the western end of a rocky outcrop dominated by the ramparts on three sides. The fourth side is closed by a curtain wall pierced by a gate. At the end of the north flank is a circular tower with several cannon holes ptotecting the gateway. The central residential building was almost entirely destroyed during the Revolution. The only remnant is a staircase tower, built against galleries and vaulted arcades, that served the upper floors. On the ground floor, in a small vaulted room, is a painted icon that is difficult to identify. This room could have been the old oratory of the castle. In the 19th century, a house was built on the ancient base of part of the structure.

It has been listed since 1989 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.