Hérisson castle (Le Château de Hérisson)

A five minute walk from our abode is Le Château de Hérisson.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_d%27H%C3%A9risson

https://www.chateau-herisson.fr/

From Wikipedia, translated by Google Translate:

“Built on a rock, the medieval fortress of Hérisson dominates the Aumance valley in a strategic location, a crossroads of ancient routes going from Bourges to Néris-les-Bains. The first known mention of the castle dates back to 1123-1133, letter from the Archbishop of Bourges Vulgrain: “castrum Iricionense”. However, Hérisson was already, in the 11th century, a town where a viguier officiated responsible for the administration by delegation of ducal and royal power. Only archaeological surveys and the archeology of buildings could determine the exact beginnings of the construction of this castle or even the underlying older architectural elements. At the end of the 12th century, Hérisson belonged to the barony of Bourbon and in 1242 this fortress became the seat of a castellany of 50 parishes, regaining the importance it had in Antiquity with the very close oppidum of Cordes. Occupied during the 100 Years’ War by English traders and then deteriorated, the fortress was partly rebuilt at the end of the 14th century on the return from captivity in England of Duke Louis II of Bourbon at the head of what had become in 1327, the duchy of Bourbonnais. A large keep with living quarters was then added to this fortress which until now had essentially a military role, protecting a village itself completely fortified at the end of the Middle Ages. It was above all the dismantling of the castle ordered following the wars of the Fronde by Mazarin (1651-1652) which dismantled the impressive monument; its stones used to build the houses of the village. However, despite several centuries of pillage, this castle with the rest of its ramparts and some of its still peaking towers still seems to dominate and protect its precious village nestled between steep rocks and the Aumance river.”