Built in the 13th/14th Century and remodelled in the 18th Century this maison-fort originally boasted a fortified entrance, was surrounded by a moat and had several outbuildings, including a second tower, which now no longer exist.

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The château is first mentioned in the departmental archives of Pui-de-Dôme in 1330 by Etienne Bada de Cuciaco, and again in 1342.

 

According to the publication "Les Fiefs du Bourbonnais" in 1896, it's believed that the Château was named after the local fief at the time of construction. The first lord of Champagnat we can be sure of lived at the beginning of the 16th Century named Jacques de Saint-Iryer, a Squire married to demoiselle Antoinette Gabard, whose daughter Catherine married Squire Jacques de Ménessier in 1543 in the parish of Gouise, and who subsequently inherited all the Gabard property. Jacques was succeeded by Jean de Saint-Irier, husband to Delphine des Ecures, and Jean was succeeded by his daughter Catherine who in 1576 married Jean de Viry, lord of the Forest of Linerolles.

 

Unfortunately after this date, there is a gap of more than a half a century and only in 1655 we have a new lord of Champagnat, one Pierre Guérin, the lord of Chermont's brother and husband of demoiselle Diane Allemand, the Lord of Quinsat's daughter.

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Pierre Guérin left a son, Claude, who died in Paris in 1706 and in his will dated May 23, 1705, left all his property to the hospital at Cusset. Not wanting nor being able to take care of the immense property left to them by their generous donor, the administrators of Cusset hospital converted the major part in to rental property. This nearly ruined the hospital and it was then that Champagnat was sold to Mr Joseph de la Chaise, Lord of Usseau from the parish of Creuzier le Vieux - notes are conflicting here as we find mention on December 14, 1736 that Antoine Gilbert de la Chaize, parish priest of Cusset gave the land and château to his nephew Jacques de la Chaize, the Lord of Ursseau. More research required!

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Jacques de la Chaise, after his daughter Marie's marriage to Jean-Louis de Pons, lived at Champagnat. On February 11, 1760 Marie de la Chaise d'Ursseau, daughter of Jacques passed Champagnat to her husband and Jean Louis is mentioned in the archives on January 30, 1782.

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More recent history to come.

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