Castle of Bouy

Page created 28 July 2023 

Château du Bouy

The French word "château" is translated as "castle". A fortified manor rather than a castle, the Château du Bouy was built around 1500 on the site of an older castle whose tower on the north-eastern end of the main building still remains.  The château in its entirety is protected as a historical monument. 

It is the ancestral home of the family of General Lafayette, also known as the Marquis de la Fayette, who was a hero of the American Revolution and a commander of Continental Army troops under George Washington. He was also a hero in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830.

The château is surrounded by a complex comprising a dwelling house and various buildings for agricultural use. The site provides an example of both the military and agricultural role that this type of building played in Auvergne. In the west facade is embedded a reused stone from the Roman period bearing a Latin inscription, which is said to be the oldest written text in the Livradois region. During the Second World War, a fire destroyed the interior and damaged the main structure. 

The château is in central France near the town of Champétières in the Department of Puy-de-Dôme (similar to a county) in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region of central France. It is within the boundaries of the Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park. 

It is built on a stream named Ruisseau du Bouy, with a bridge called Pont du Bouy. The road from Champétières to the manor house is also named Bouy.

See:

• https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00091946 

• https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00091946/champetieres-chateau-du-bouy 

• https://www.google.com/maps/place/Le+Bouy,+63600+Champ%C3%A9ti%C3%A8res,+France  shown below:

The following photos are from the website:
https://www.grahlf.fr/estivales-2009-champetieres-chateau-du-bouy-eglise-saint-sebastien-eglise-notre-dame-de-mons-diaporama/