Château de Tournoël, Medieval fortress in Volvic, France

Château de Tournoël is a partly ruined medieval fortress on a rocky spur of the Puy de la Bannière at 594 m, 1.5 km north of Volvic. Its grey and tan stonework rises in a stepped profile: a tall cylindrical keep with a machicolated parapet on the left, a lower irregular range with small and walled-up windows, and a shorter round tower midway along the right facade.

The first documented owner, Bertrand, appears between 1077 and 1095, and Guy II of Auvergne held the castle from at least 1190. In December 1213, after a siege, Guy of Dampierre took it for Philip Augustus, annexing most of Basse-Auvergne to the royal domain. Guy of Dampierre sent an inventory dated 20 December 1213; in 1306 Philip the Fair exchanged it with the Maulmont heirs, and Hugues de La Roche later reinforced the keep.

The name Tournoël derives from the Gaulish "Turno ialon", meaning the height above the plain. Before the 19th century the castle appears in French documents as Tournoille, Torniel or Tornelle, and in Latin titles as Tornolium. The first mention, from the 11th century, is in old Occitan as Turnoile.

The site is best reached on foot and requires some walking ability due to its elevated position on the hillside. Visitors should prepare for variable weather conditions and wear comfortable footwear, as pathways can be uneven in places.

The flat-topped round keep dates from the 13th century; in the 14th century Hugues de La Roche added a walkway about two-thirds of the way up, carried on machicolations. He was captain-general of Basse-Auvergne and fought the English during the Hundred Years' War.