Château de Villeneuve-Lembron, Medieval castle in Villeneuve, France.

Château de Villeneuve-Lembron is a quadrilateral structure with four cylindrical towers positioned at each corner, connected by three residential wings. Deep moats surround the entire building, creating a strong defensive barrier around it.

The castle was built at the end of the 15th century for Rigaud d'Aureille, bailli of the Auvergne mountains, master of the household to Louis XI, Charles VIII, Louis XII and François I, and ambassador to Maximilian of Austria. In the early 16th century the estate passed to the Montmorin family, and Gaspard de Montmorin added painted decorations. In 1643 Isaac Dufour, treasurer of France at Riom, bought it and remodelled the courtyard, adding a porticoed gallery and decorating the first-floor ceilings and fireplaces. It was given to the State in 1937.

Under the courtyard galleries, frescoes show a portrait of Rigaud d'Aureille and satirical tales such as the "dit de la Bigorne" and the "Chiche Face". The window embrasures of the state room and the vault of the great stables carry later painted decoration, with Roman mythological figures and scenes of good against evil.

The castle is run by the Centre des monuments nationaux and has been open to visitors since the State acquired it in 1937, alongside major restoration work. Access to the inner enclosure passes through a basket-handle arch doorway leading into a lower courtyard. The building is surrounded by moats, so plan your approach around the entrance gate rather than the terrace side.

The castle retains original woodwork and ironwork from the 15th century in the former residential quarters, a rare architectural detail for this region. These crafted elements reveal the technical skill and wealth of its early inhabitants.