DONJON MÉDIÉVAL DE MONTPEYROUX

A superb village with a southern soul from the A75 motorway, connecting Clermont-Ferrand to Montpellier through landscapes as exceptional as they are varied, Montpeyroux offers one of the very first points of interest from the Auvergne capital. From this major road, the aptly named "Méridienne", the harmonious silhouette of the village, wrapped around the foot of its keep, encourages you to stop for a foray into the Middle Ages ! At that time, the A75 was called "Voie Régordane" and its illustrious lords were Catherine de Medici and then Marguerite de Valois, descendants of the powerful Tour d'Auvergne family. The village remains characteristic of the organization of a medieval city in the region. Of its defense system, only the magnificent 14th-century fortified gate topped with a clock and the imposing tower once located at the heart of the fortress remain. Rising three stories high, its crenellated platform made it possible to monitor the risks of attacks as well as those linked to fires or flooding from the nearby Allier River. Accessible to visitors, the building offers a bird's eye view of the village's rooftops and a unique vantage point of the Chaîne des Puys, the Sancy massif, and the Cantal mountains.

The charm and character of Montpeyroux lie in this omnipresent blond stone that catches the light and gives the village a southern feel. It is no coincidence that the village takes its name from the Latin mons petrosus, "stony mountain." Arkose, this light-colored stone from the sandstone family, has long made Montpeyroux a village of stonemasons and still adorns some of the region's major Romanesque churches. It gives the village a beautiful architectural unity that one discovers—not without getting lost!—in the maze of flower-lined streets. Here, sculpted lintels and colorful shutters on the massive facades, there vaulted passages and terraced gardens flatter the eye. It is again the architecture – and a few street names – that give clues to another facet of Montpeyroux: that of a wine-growing village. With their exterior staircases, the winegrowers' houses bear witness to this past vocation, interrupted by the phylloxera crisis and the First World War. For the past twenty years, vines have been replanted and the activity is finding a new lease of life through the production of a Côtes d'Auvergne AOP winemaker and the annual organization of an Organic Wine Fair.

Très intéressant.
Accueil sympathique également.

.
Nous avons été fermés dans le donjon après notre descente : nous n'avons pas été prévenu. Heureusement des numéros de téléphone portables sont disponibles sur la porte d'entrée

Bonita al igual que sus alrededores

Beau bâtiment dans un charmant village
L'ascension se mérite, escalier très raide au début, puis marches assez hautes mais la vue au sommet nous récompense