Château de Chareil-Cintrat

Château de Chareil-Cintrat is a Renaissance castle with a rectangular main building supported by round towers at its north-west and south-west corners. It sits at the foot of a hill covered in grapevines.

A military official named Claude Morin commissioned the castle's Renaissance interior decorations in the early 16th century after returning from the Italian Wars. These renovations made the castle reflect the modern style spreading from Italy at that time.

The interior rooms display paintings with grotesque motifs, mythological scenes, and astrological imagery that reflect Renaissance artistic taste. These decorations reveal the interests and passions of those who lived here centuries ago.

The castle sits in a hilly wine region that looks attractive in autumn during harvest time. There are marked paths to access it, and visitors should wear comfortable shoes since the grounds are uneven.

The grounds contain an area dedicated to preserving old grape varieties from the Chareil-Cintrat and Saint-Pourçain wine regions. This living collection shows the castle's connection to winemaking in its surroundings across many generations.

Location: Chareil-Cintrat

Inception: 15 century

Website: http://chareil-cintrat.monuments-nationaux.fr/fr

GPS coordinates: 46.26583,3.22417

Latest update: December 9, 2025 12:23