HISTORY
In 1450, we can distinguish the Murol fortified house on a Guillaume de Revel drawing, in the Armorial. Thus, there are 3 fortified houses in Saint-Amant-La-Cheyre. That of Murol, shelters within its walls the church of the village. The orignal settlers are Murol lords who also own the great castle of Murol au Chambon.
Several families from Auvergne became owners up to XIXth century: weddings, successions, takeovers result in the transfer of the fortified house from the Murol to the ownership of Damas d’Aubière, Canillac. On November 1586, Henri IV send his turbulent wife, Queen Margot, into exile in the Usson castle, near Issoire. She is escorted by the Marquis of De Canillac, where she stays a few days.
From the XVIIth century, Bouchard, then La Tour Fondue families follow each other in the head of Murol; these changes consequently cause numerous restorations.
The most important occurs between 1865 and 1900 when the last owner, Anatole de La Tour Fondue, transforms the fortified house into neo-gothic chateau with the help of the architect Bruyère, student of Viollet Le Duc school: elevation, door openings, windows and loopholes, stone decorative ornaments outside (bridges, gargoyles) and inside (tents). And all of this, in privatizing the church that the castle no longer share with the village.
It is in this unfinished restoration condition that the Giscard d’Estaing family buy the chateau in 1921 to their La Tour Fondue cousins and remain now the owner.