Château-Mairie de Cournon-d'Auvergne

The town hall of Cournon-d’Auvergne is housed in a château from the late 17th century. It is the site of a former medieval château that was destroyed during a conflict.

The present-day château is close to the location of a medieval château built by the first secular lord of Cournon on a hill, close to Église Saint-Hilaire and no longer existing today, and surrounded by a ditch (Rue du Fossé). In 1197, this medieval château was destroyed in a fight between the Bishop of Clermont and the Count of Auvergne and was then rebuilt in 1199 by Guillaume de Cournon, before gradually falling into ruin.

The present-day château wasn’t rebuilt until the late 19th century by the de Strada family, which acquired part of the Cournon fiefdom in around 1652-1654. The château was modernised to resemble a manor house. However, it retained two circular towers of medieval origin at the north and south angles of its eastern façade. The château also had its own garden.

Purchased by the municipality in 1852, the château first housed the town hall on the ground floor. The École Chrétienne des Frères (Christian brothers school) moved into the first floor in 1862, replaced in 1889 by the École Laïque des Garçons (secular boys’ school) until 1964, when the entire building was occupied by the rooms and offices of the town hall, which continued to grow.