The castle | ©Fab5669 / CC-BY-SAWho's got 6 round towers overlooking a lake near the Bort-les-Orgues barrage? Val castle!
In the beginning, in the 5th century, this proud fortress was a simple wooden keep, replaced by a stony castle in the 10th century. In 1150, the Thynières owned the castle.
The keep was extended and flanked by 6 towers and a surrounding wall. In 1440, the new owner, Guillot d'Estaing, added loopholes in the thick wall and a covered way on the curtains.
But the castle was sold in 1660 and several owners succeeded one another... Each of them let it sank into oblivion...
Ignace Dubois de Saint-Etienne saved it and restored it in 1778. He was very rich, so he could repair roof and walls.
In 1814, a man called Longueville owned the castle and sold beams, plancher, stones... ouch! Louis Gauthier and Jules Souchard finally saved it again from destruction.