To be privately owned
CastleEffiat
Château d'Effiat
The Château d'Effiat is located in the commune of Effiat in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne. The complex was classified as a Monument historique on April 16, 1942, June 6, 1980, and March 10, 2004.
Effiat Castle belonged to the building program of Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé, known simply as Ruzé, a friend of Cardinal Richelieu and advisor to Louis XIII in 1625, who elevated Antoine's possessions to a marquisate in 1627 and appointed him Marshal of France in 1631.
Ruzé commissioned architects Jacques Lemercier and Clément Métezeau, as well as royal gardener André Mollet, to redesign the town of Effiat. The castle was built from 1626 to 1628. From 1630 to 1632, the church and the school, which was to be run by the Oratory Congregation, as well as a hospital, were subsequently built. The planned settlement was not completed after Ruzé's death.
Under Louis XIV, the École royale militaire d'Effiat was established on the site. Among the students of this military academy was Louis Charles Antoine Desaix.
Brief Description+
The complex is surrounded by moats on two sides. A mighty gate with a drawbridge forms the entrance. Of the original castle, only two pavilions remain, while two wings of the building were demolished. The facade is decorated with Doric pilasters. The outbuildings and the courtyard were built in the late 17th century.
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Location: 46.0438, 3.2517