From the Allier to the Cortal plateau

The Pont-du-Château town hall is housed in a 17th-century château that retains elements of the original façade and interior décor.At Pont-du-Château, the former feudal château was partly destroyed by fire in 1580 during a plague epidemic. A new château was rebuilt in the 17th century for Guillaume de Montboissier-Beaufort-Canillac (1600–1664), Lieutenant General of the Army, Maréchal de Camp, Seneschal of Auvergne, and Counsellor of State. The château was later remodelled in the 18th century by Philippe-Claude de Montboissier-Beaufort-Canillac (1715–1797), who added two right-angled wings, one of which housed the stables. He also laid out a park to the north of the town. At the time of the French Revolution, all of this property was seized, and the municipality acquired both the château and the chapel, which was demolished in 1960. The main façade conceals a pre-existing building. Its central section draws attention with a horseshoe staircase made of Volvic stone, probably inspired by the staircase at the Château de Fontainebleau. This Italianate feature is enhanced by roof balustrades reminiscent of Versailles. The rear façade, dating from the 17th century, opens onto a terrace offering an unobstructed view of the River Allier and the surrounding countryside. The original interior décor has been preserved. In the coat of arms room, the French-style ceiling, painted in the 17th century, depicts the family tree of the Montboissier-Beaufort-Canillac lineage in the form of 87 coats of arms, among which are those of the two Popes from the family: Clement VI and Gregory XI. The parlour, now the marriage hall, was decorated in the 1760s in the neoclassical style, featuring wood panelling, overdoors representing the four seasons, a marble fireplace, and Versailles parquet flooring.

Since the earthquakes in the 15th century, timber-framed houses have become rare in the metropolitan area of Clermont Auvergne. In Pont-du-Château, three of these houses can still be seen and are protected as Historic Monuments.Timber-framed houses are rare in the Clermont Auvergne metropolitan area. Most of them did not survive the earthquakes of 1477 and 1490. Following this destruction, it became common from the early 16th century onwards to build houses using Volvic stone. At numbers 2 and 14 rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, and 1 place de la Liberté, three of these houses can still be seen. They are three storeys high. The ground floor, made from Volvic stone, provides a solid base for the building and houses the boutique, which features a basket-handle arch. The upper floors, separated by plate beams, include a framework of vertical timber beams arranged in the form of a Saint Andrew’s cross, with windows set into them. The spaces between the timber beams are filled with either hollow-core slab (light masonry made from stone, brick and limestone) or wattle and daub (earth and straw). The floors are built with a corbelled structure, overhanging the street to save space in the tight confines of medieval towns. At 14 rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, the timber-framed house has retained its fire-resistant stone wall, located to the right of its façade, which provides protection from fire spreading from the neighbouring house. These houses have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1962 and 1963. A few other timber-framed houses can be seen in Montferrand, such as the monumental apothecary's house at the corner of rue Jules Guesde and rue de la Rodade.

À seulement 10 minutes à pied du centre historique, notre bureau saisonnier de Pont-du-Château vous accueille du 3 juillet au 31 août pour vous accompagner dans vos découvertes estivales.Services proposés : - Conseils personnalisés : bons plans, hébergements touristiques, restaurants, événements, randonnées, parcours en ville, patrimoine, sports et loisirs, visites, expositions, spectacles et autres manifestations.- Boutique : souvenirs, cartes postales, librairie et produits du terroir. - Billetterie sites touristiques (Lemptégy-grotte de la pierre de Volvic, Panoramique des Dômes et Vulcania). - Langue étrangère parlée : anglais À deux pas du bureau saisonnier, laissez-vous porter par l’histoire fluviale de Pont-du-Château : flânez le long de l’Allier, admirez les maisons à pans de bois, visitez les églises Sainte-Martine et Notre-Dame-de-Paulhat, puis profitez d’un point de vue exceptionnel depuis la terrasse du château, devenu mairie. Envie de nature active ? Embarquez en canoë pour découvrir la rivière autrement !