Château de Saint-Vidal, Medieval fortress in Saint-Vidal, France.

Château de Saint-Vidal is a fortified medieval structure with high walls, multiple towers, and a central courtyard enclosed by its stone perimeter. The layout displays typical features of a feudal stronghold with defensive elements that command the hilltop.

This fortress has roots before the 13th century, beginning as a basic fortification. Between 1563 and 1578 it underwent major reinforcement and modernization during the French Wars of Religion.

The castle bears the name of Saint Vidal and reflects how medieval fortifications were built in this region. Today visitors can observe the stone walls and towers that reveal the local construction practices of that era.

The fortress stands in the Borne valley at an altitude of about 700 metres, roughly 7.5 km northwest of Le Puy-en-Velay's centre. Since spring 2022 part of the château has operated as a five-star hotel classified by Atout France, so the building is not freely open as a monument. Access is by road through the countryside of the former Velay.

The fortress makes up for a weak position with the weight of its defences, as the sources put it. In 1591, when Henri IV's army besieged it, the garrison commander Pierre Portal offered to surrender; the ligueur leader de Lestrange threatened to hang him and his soldiers, and the defenders held out until the siege was lifted after eight days.