Château du Grand Perron, Heritage castle in Pierre-Bénite, France

Château du Grand Perron is a castle in Pierre-Bénite whose surviving U-shaped complex, rebuilt from 1521, has a north facade with a Corinthian portico of four round-arched openings. The ground-floor bays are walled with concrete blocks, the eastern wing was demolished, and the facades were restored with housing added.

King Francis I authorized Claude Besson in 1518 to renovate the ancient fortress, beginning major architectural changes. The Renaissance style that defines the castle today emerged from this renovation period.

The Gondi family shaped this place into a seat of authority in the region. Albert de Gondi, who would later become Marshal of France, left his mark on the estate.

The château is not open to visitors. Its Renaissance facade and roof of the central building have been classified as monuments historiques since 31 December 1979, while the remaining facades, roofs and the grand staircase are inscribed. The site now forms part of the Centre hospitalier Lyon Sud in Pierre-Bénite.

The monumental fireplace with the Gondi coat of arms no longer stands inside the castle: it was moved. It had two Doric columns supporting a mantel carved with mouldings across its width, and its stone hood rose to the ceiling.