- Château de Chavaniac
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The Château de Chavaniac is a fortified manor house of eighteen rooms furnished in the Louis XIII style located in Chavaniac-Lafayette, Haute-Loire, in Auvergne, France.
Flanked by two towers of black stone, it was built in the 14th century and was the birth place of General Lafayette in 1757.
In 1917, American industrialist John Moffat purchased the castle and renovated it completely to preserve documents and objects relating to General Lafayette.
The Château de Chavaniac is now a museum open to the public.
Contents
History
The Château de Chavaniac was constructed in the 14th century. It was partially destroyed by a fire in 1701. The General Lafayette was born here in 1757. He was married in 1774 to Adrienne de Noailles. They had four children together. Henriette, who died at a young age, Anastasie, Georges and Virginie who lived in the castle. A hero of the American and French revolutions, he was rejected by the French revolutionnaries when he voted against the death of the king. With the fall of the monarchy, he tried to flee to the United States through the Dutch Republic. He was captured by Austrians and was made prisoner by Austria at the fortress of Olmutz. He was considered a traitor for not saving the life of Marie-Antoinette, an Austrian by birth, and the king. Lafayette returned to France in 1797. The château was restored to Lafayette in 1791 but sold by the Republic when Lafayette fled the country. His aunt bought the château.
In 1917, John Moffat, a industrialist purchased the château for the association of Friends of Lafayette and furnished the château with memorabilia from Lafayette and other period pieces. After the death of John Moffat in 1966, the Friends of Lafayette took over management of the château. In 2009, the Conseil Général de la Haute-Loire took over management of the château and repaired the roof.
The French and American flags fly permanently over the château in honor of the key role Lafayette played in the French and American revolutions.
Architecture
The Château de Chavaniac framed by two towers of black rock from Auvergne was constructed in the 14th century. The château and the interior decoration were listed a historic monuments by France in August 21, 1989.
In the entrance one finds a great staircase, a gallery with painted murals, a Louis XIII dining room, and a guardroom. The first floor has a grand salon, a library, and the family's bedrooms. The second floor has a great hall and the master bedroom with a bathroom and a sauna. The room of the friendship franco-american is found on the fourth floor.
See also
External links
Categories:- Châteaux in France
- Biographical museums in France
- Buildings and structures in Haute-Loire
- French museum stubs
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