The Château Saint-Étienne is located on the heights of the town of Aurillac, in Cantal.
Built on a hill 685 meters high, the original castrum was erected in the 9th century. With a military vocation, it belonged to the lord of the place, Count Gérald, father of Saint Géraud.
The site was transformed into a Benedictine abbey at the beginning of the second millennium and during the Revolution, the whole was dismantled and sold as national property and ended up being acquired by the municipality in 1847.
It remains so today an imposing square tower which was 30 meters high before being leveled in 1747. Thanks to the different masonry structures, three periods of construction can still be observed: the base is indeed from the 9th century, then levels dating from the 12th and 14th century. On the upper level, in the 19th century, a terrace was fitted out to replace the 18th century pavilion roof. At its height, the abbey had other towers and access was through a half-height door from which one descended to the ground floor, inside, by a ladder...
A body The building located at the base of the tower was burnt down in 1868. A new neo-Gothic style building was then built to succeed it, the architecture of which evokes the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. It was to pay homage to Pope Sylvester II born in Aurillac in the 10th century. The site then accommodated the normal school of teachers.
Nowadays, the tower of the old castle and the related building house the Volcanoes Museum. Its vocation is to explain in a playful and interactive way the volcanic phenomena but also the geology. Collections of rocks and minerals are also presented.
Open the first Sunday of the month, during school holidays and on Wednesday by reservation. Price: 3.50 and 5 euros. Information on +33 4 71 48 07 00.
