Château de Murol at the gates of Sancy
Murol, a charming French parish with an impressive history dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. The oldest remains of this picturesque village include a pre-Romanesque chapel and defensive walls atop a basalt table - which are said to have been built at the expense of other ancient parishes in the 11th century. Its castle is notably located atop stunning Mesa landforms, which intersect three Roman roads of historical significance: La Limagne, Mont Dore and Clermont Ferrand, which were continuously reinforced from the 12th to the 15th century by expansions such as those commissioned by Guillaume de Sam (or Murol) in the 14th century!
The d'Estaing family at the service of the Chateau de Murol
In the 15th century, an exciting transformation was underway in what would become the Château d'Estaing. The union of Jehanne de Murol and Gaspard d'Estaing creates a marriage of convenience that gives life to this space by remodeling it in a bourgeois way according to fashion trends - from the makeover of the high court to the fortified towers in the shape of a almond ! Alas, Francis I's ambitious vision for his grand Renaissance palace never materialized due to unfinished work on the bastioned enclosures surrounding it, leaving only traces of their legacy like artillery pieces etched with " Francois d'Estaing. Even though history threatened to ruin him during the time of the Ancien Régime, he was spared thanks to a single surname: the mighty d'Estaing!
Despite the French Revolution, the Château de Murol was spared, even if it became a prison for a few unfortunate souls. Later, in the 19th century, Count Chabrol ceded ownership to the municipality, thus preventing this historic gem from being transformed into an ordinary stone quarry
The castle of Murol
A 12th-century fortress, complete with two chapels and a circular keep, is the backdrop to an exciting period in French history. Its walls are guarded by no less than four towers with vaulted rooms, one of which houses a kitchen full of character that could easily fit into any fairy tale, with large fireplaces, ovens and kneaders !
